1. Minnesota Silver Jackets Pilot Project Flood Inundation Map and Warning System for Downtown St. Paul Association of State Flood Plain Managers Conference May 22, 2012 Ceil Strauss, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Minnesota State Flood Plain Manager Terry Zien, PE, USACE – St Paul

2. Flood Inundation Map and Warning System for Downtown St. Paul - Study Limits Upper Landing & Harriet Island Downtown Airport

3. Flood Inundation Map and Warning System for Downtown St. Paul Objectives Leverage existing resources Leverage existing resources USACE HEC-RAS unsteady model for the Mississippi USACE HEC-RAS unsteady model for the Mississippi Existing USGS gage location and long period of record Existing USGS gage location and long period of record NWS forecast point NWS forecast point City of St. Paul survey data City of St. Paul survey data FEMA HAZUS Database FEMA HAZUS Database Studies by others Studies by others

4. 1952 2001 1965

5. Flood Inundation Map and Warning System for Downtown St. Paul - Study Features

6. Upper Landing & Harriet Island

8. Harriet Island

9. Downtown St Paul

11. 1952 Flood

12. Downtown St. Paul Looking Upstream Mississippi River, Left Bank

13. Downtown St. Paul Looking Downstream Mississippi River, Left Bank

14. St Paul Airport Area

15. St Paul Airport (circa 1943)

16. Temporary floodwalls are put up in area that is now flood fringe. St. Paul, MN Airport

17. Objectives - Continued Create a flood inundation map Create a flood inundation map Define flood risk Define flood risk Scenario-based Scenario-based Enhanced NWS forecast capabilities Enhanced NWS forecast capabilities Inform public policy decisions (land use, zoning, permitting) Inform public policy decisions (land use, zoning, permitting) Develop/improve flood warning systems Develop/improve flood warning systems

18. Objectives - Continued Produce public education materials Produce public education materials Potential to work with the Science Museum of Minnesota Potential to work with the Science Museum of Minnesota Video display kiosk Video display kiosk Guide mitigation efforts Guide mitigation efforts Flood plain information exposure to natural and beneficial uses Flood plain information exposure to natural and beneficial uses

19. Objectives - Continued Reduce future risk to life and property! Reduce future risk to life and property! Improve urban planning Improve urban planning Enhance flood warning system Enhance flood warning system Update existing FEMA NFIP data & documents for the study area Update existing FEMA NFIP data & documents for the study area Promote wise use of the flood plain Promote wise use of the flood plain Reduce future expenditures on recovery Reduce future expenditures on recovery

20. Objectives - Continued Promote actions by others Promote actions by others Updated emergency action plan Updated emergency action plan Structural and non-structural flood mitigation strategy implementation Structural and non-structural flood mitigation strategy implementation Targeted flood warning system Targeted flood warning system Public outreach in and around inundation area Public outreach in and around inundation area Potential to Increase CRS Credit: Potential to Increase CRS Credit: FEMA will investigate the possibility to provide CRS credit to those communities who obtain inundation mapping studies as a tool for flood risk mitigation. FEMA will investigate the possibility to provide CRS credit to those communities who obtain inundation mapping studies as a tool for flood risk mitigation. St. Paul could consider becoming a CRS community St. Paul could consider becoming a CRS community

21. Status Update Milestones Accomplished Milestones Accomplished SOW in progress with SJ team, IWR team SOW in progress with SJ team, IWR team Developed a project time line Developed a project time line Identified current HEC-RAS model to be used as a basis for water surface profiles, began modeling Identified current HEC-RAS model to be used as a basis for water surface profiles, began modeling Identified meaningful scenarios for HEC-RAS model Identified meaningful scenarios for HEC-RAS model Begun gathering additional data needed for model, risk identification, and map production Begun gathering additional data needed for model, risk identification, and map production Challenges / Limiting Factors / Gaps Challenges / Limiting Factors / Gaps Sharing of digital source data/products across different agencies Sharing of digital source data/products across different agencies HAZUS data base may not be the best to define detailed risk information/consequences at this level of investigation HAZUS data base may not be the best to define detailed risk information/consequences at this level of investigation Newer, better LIDAR data in progress, may not be ready Newer, better LIDAR data in progress, may not be ready