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Flood Mitigation and Recovery from Disaster

Flood mitigation is top of mind as the 2023 flood season has already been difficult for many communities across the United States, with many areas under evacuation orders and more than 20 million citizens under flood alerts.

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    On January 14, 2023, President Biden declared a major disaster in the State of California and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides beginning on December 27, 2022. With this declaration, funding became available for the affected areas as damage assessment continues.

    As this early flooding in California has indicated, the risk of catastrophic floods exists every year, and heavy downpours and storms often lead to dangerous flooding conditions. Because flooding can occur anywhere in the United States, it is important for all communities to assess their flood risk, prepare and practice response plans, and learn from past floods.

    Recently, communities across the United States have made significant efforts to prepare for a flooding event, as well as building the capacity to respond to and recover from disasters related to flooding. However, when the impacts are severe and the geographic area is very large, many communities, counties, and states rely on experienced contractors with the necessary expertise to support and augment their staff and community services for a wide variety needs. Services may include response and recovery efforts related to the current flood season and any other disaster or emergency conditions that may cause widespread damage and/or put life, health, safety, and essential public services at risk.

    Services to Assist in Flood Mitigation and Recovery

    Response Services

    Recovery Services

    Mitigation Services

    PLANNING PROGRAMS

    Emergency Contract Vehicles for Flooding

    Additionally, following a declared state of emergency, the Federal Government allows local and state government to bypass their standard procurement policies and implement emergency procurement procedures. In times of emergency, understanding these unique contract vehicles can be essential in saving time, money, and resources. ISC has expertise with these unique contract vehicles, which allow for us to guide our clients on how to easily and expeditiously get through the contracting process.

    Further, contracting with ISC is easy, and a number of pre-established contract vehicles can be utilized to facilitate the procurement process.

    Integrated Solutions Consulting provides “On-Call” disaster planning, management, response, and recovery services to various communities and their departments, offices, and agencies across the nation.
    RECOVERY HOTLINE

    Disaster Software Solutions

    OUR INNOVATIONS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

    The ISC Team has leveraged this expertise to develop innovative tools, technologies, and best practices to assist in the management of the procedures, policies and plans that are required by Federal regulations and disaster assistance programs.

    Damage Assessment App

    ISC’s app includes specific data fields and criteria that are consistent with FEMA’s IA & PA programs. The result is the real-time accessibility of damage assessment information & streamlining the recovery process.

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    Disaster Grant Management Software

    ISC’s Disaster Grant Management Tool can be integrated into current client processes and systems to help drive workload, track performance, monitor funding queues, create reports, monitor compliance, and audit requirements.

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    Odysseus™ Enterprise System

    Odysseus is ISC’s proprietary, cloud-based system that offers a suite of tools, including planning & program maintenance, compliance & performance metrics, assessment & analysis, and computer-based simulations.

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    UAV (Drone) Technology

    ISC has invested in cutting edge UAV technology & software to provide our clients with enhanced analysis & mapping. Setting Industry standards, ISC was the first firm to receive an approved FAA Part 10 license.

    Past Performance in Flooding Mitigation and Recovery

    2017 CALIFORNIA FLOODS…

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    2017 CALIFORNIA FLOODS – IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW FEMA PA PROGRAM DELIVERY MODEL

    In early 2017, Severe flooding throughout California and portions of Nevada resulted in three disaster declarations covering 56 counties throughout California. Northern California experienced it wettest winter in almost a century causing extensive flooding and an estimated $1.5 billion in damages. Several dams overflowed and many others throughout North California were forced to open their emergency spillway, inundating properties downstream. The flooding occurred at the end of one of California’s longest droughts, making conditions unstable, resulting in mudslides and slope failures.

    FEMA Region IX, in conjunction with FEMA Headquarters and the State of California, agreed to implement the PA Program Delivery Model. In this new capacity, Team ISC served as PACs and technical specialists to conduct damage assessments, develop and validate repairs and cost estimates, determine eligibility, and coordinate with assigned Recipients/Sub-Recipients throughout the PA grant delivery process for CA declarations. The PAC facilitates and coordinates the effective, efficient, and accurate delivery of grant funding while coordinating the Sub-Recipients’ recovery priorities, understanding their capabilities and capacity to develop projects and participates in validation of damages through site inspections and working with Sub-Recipient on project formulation. Team ISC prepared over $110 million in eligible federal disaster assistance funds through the FEMA PA Program. The following are some of the PAC responsibilities:

    1. Receive assignment of Sub-Recipients

    2. Calls to Sub-Recipient to gather initial damage information and gather information on Sub-Recipient capabilities, discusses the requirements for the list of disaster damages, and schedules meeting with the Sub-Recipient

    3. Meets with Sub-Recipient

    4. Begins process of validating damages through scheduling of site inspections

    5. Requesting information from the Sub-Recipient to support their damage claims

    6. Formulating projects (i.e. discuss with the Sub-Recipient logical groupings of work into projects).

    7. Review Damage Descriptions and Dimensions (DDD), scopes of work (SOWs), and costs.

    8. Ensure that all damages identified by the Sub-Recipient are addressed.

    9. Prepare for and conduct exit briefing

    TEXAS FLOODS

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    An ISC team of FEMA PA disaster recovery technical specialists were deployed to Texas in response to three federally declared disasters for severe storms, tornadoes and flooding (DR-4266, DR-4269, DR-4272). ISC technical specialists worked closely with the Texas Division of Emergency Management and FEMA to ensure the new FEMA PAAP delivery model was properly implemented. ISC conducted site inspections, identified damages, validated scopes of work and costs, and identified mitigation measures, if applicable.

    In all, Team ISC recovered over $96.8 million in eligible FEMA Public Assistance funding for all Categories of work. Some of the larger projects include:

    • Approximately $2.9 million in grants to repair non FHWA roads and bridges back to pre-disaster condition.
    • Identified over $13 million in damage to the Deweyville Independent School District (DISD) caused by rising waters from the Sabine River flooing the Elementary School complex for a period of 7 days, inundating the facilities to depths of six inches to over five feet, damaging and/or destroying the contents of the elementary school.
    • Identified and prepared over $1.3 million in emergency work and over $2.5 million in permanent work to the City of Cisco potable water treatment plant located below Williamson Dam.

    Team ISC staff received praise from the client for their work ethic, professional demeanor, and ability to deliver collaborative solutions to challenging disaster recovery issues.

    OHIO FLOODING AND TORNADOS

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    Following an active spring flooding season, several tornadoes touch down in highly populated areas of Dayton and other Ohio communities in late May of 2019. Flooding caused road and/or embankment failures throughout much of the State due to hilly terrain with soft soil composition, totaling approximately $11 million in PA funding. Tornadoes caused catastrophic damage throughout Dayton and surrounding Cities, devastating dozens of buildings, homes and parks. Team ISC technical specialists were deployed in June 2019 to document damages, develop scopes of work and prepare cost estimates for the flood and tornado affected Counties.

    LOUISIANA SEVERE STORMS…

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    LOUISIANA SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOS, FLOODING AND HURRICANE BARRY

    Following the 2019 severe storms, tornadoes, flooding and Hurricane Barry, Team ISC deployed technical specialists to provide guidance to FEMA management on recovery and mitigation power and electrical projects. Hurricane Barry inundated streets and businesses over a six-hour period on the morning of July 10, 2019. Portions of the French Quarter were flooded, and public transportation was disrupted. The impacts were exacerbated by an elevated Mississippi River and knocked down power lines causing widespread power outages. Hurricane Barry caused approximately $900 million in public and private property damage throughout the state of Louisiana.