Resiliency Partnership Members

Maryland Historical Trust

Cultural Resources Hazard Mitigation Planning Program

The Cultural Resources Hazard Mitigation Program is aimed at protecting historic places, archeological sites, and cultural landscapes from the effects of natural hazards, such as flooding, wind and coastal erosion. The impacts of Hurricane Sandy in Maryland and to historic communities along the East Coast highlighted the need to protect the many landmarks, districts and sites that contribute so much to our economy and quality of life.

Through the two-year Program, MHT developed trainings, model guidance and educational materials to assist local governments in creating hazard mitigation plans for their cultural resources. MHT promotes a planning framework based on FEMA’s Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resources into Hazard Mitigation Planning, which is currently being utilized in Annapolis. MHT also offers one-on-one technical assistance to aid local governments in plan development and mitigation projects involving cultural resources.

The Program provides funding in support of non-capital activities that will assist eligible applicants in preparing for and reducing impacts from natural hazards (e.g. flood, wind, earthquake, coastal erosion) to cultural resources. Cultural resources include, but are not limited to: historic buildings, structures (e.g., lighthouses, roads, and canals), objects (e.g., memorials, statues) or sites; museums, archives and other repositories of artifacts or historic records; archeological sites; traditional cultural properties and cultural landscapes.

Maryland Insurance Administration

The Maryland Insurance Administration ("MIA") helps insurance policyholders understand what is covered and what is excluded under their insurance policies prior to a disaster. Under existing law, homeowners insurance companies are required to offer a discount to policyholders that provide proof that they have completed "qualified mitigation actions" or made other repairs or improvements that materially mitigate loss from a hurricane or other storm otherwise covered under the policy.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Maryland Coastal Resiliency Risk Assessment was completed and reviewed by a steering committee and was facilitated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In order to assist with plan integration and inform both the hazard mitigation plan development and the DNR coastal resiliency risk assessment, members of both planning committees included many of the same people. Rather than view these efforts as separate, State staff and their partners viewed the development process of both efforts as fortuitous, and successfully enhanced both planning documents through this concurrent and inclusive process.

Maryland State Highway Administration

Hazard Vulnerability Assessment

With the support from state and federal agencies and from academic and private partners the team worked to develop a methodical approach that could identify vulnerabilities of the state’s roadways and bridges.

Salisbury University Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative provided state-of-the-art data products incorporating Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) information and projection models from the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s HAZUS program. The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration provided the Vulnerability Assessment Scoring Tool (VAST). The team then integrated the range of data from all the tools with an updated range of sea level projections based on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ methodology and storm surge models—information embedded within the Sea Level Change Curve Calculator tool. The resulting maps and report provided SHA with the information they needed to identify and prioritize vulnerable roadway segments and bridges in Anne Arundel and Somerset Counties.

SHA can also use the technical analysis to evaluate other opportunities for improving resilience. For instance, by integrating information from the analysis with watershed boundaries and hydrologic data, they can perform site-specific vulnerability assessments for elements of transportation infrastructure. SHA can also build on this approach, replicating it in other Maryland counties to help decision makers recognize their climate vulnerabilities and consider how and when to address them.

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

During and after an emergency (including flooding), the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers the following programs:

1. The Maryland Disaster Housing Assistance Program provides short-term, emergency rent payment assistance to displaced home owners.
2. The Disaster Rehabilitation Housing Program provides financial assistance to families whose primary residences are destroyed as a result of state- and federally-declared disasters.
3. The Maryland Business Recovery Loan Program assists small businesses affected by a disaster with emergency loans.
4. Other grant and loan programs, including federal programs such as the Community Development Block Grant, to assist communities with recovery and mitigation.

Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

The Building Codes Administration, a unit of the Maryland Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation (DLLR), is responsible for adoption of building codes and standards in Maryland every three years. These responsibilities are defined in two separate regulations, namely Model Performance Code and Maryland Building Performance Standards. The codes adopted include International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC) and International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Other building related codes also adopted by DLLR include International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Maryland Accessibility Code, Minimum Livability Code, International Mechanical Code (IMC) and National Standard Plumbing Code Illustrated.

Maryland statutes allow individual local jurisdictions to amend IBC & IRC to suit their unique situations due to geographical locations with certain limitations under Maryland Building Performance Standards.

Inside both IBC and IRC, there are numerous sections which address the issue of buildings in flood hazard areas. Through the code adoption process, DLLR can work with the International Code Council, publisher of the I-codes, and individual local jurisdictions to include any proposed/desired building code requirements in state-adopted codes to prevent additional building damages caused by a flood.

Maryland Emergency Management Agency

Hazus data created during the State’s plan development process will be distributed to local jurisdictions, as available. Distribution of Enhanced Hazus data to local jurisdictions will continue over the next several years. Previous Hazus data developed for the State included default data within the Hazus program itself, however, the new Hazus data utilized user defined data, resulting in Enhanced Hazus analysis data and results. Local jurisdictions will incorporate Enhanced Hazus data provided by the State into their Local Hazard Mitigation Plan updates. Information sharing and distribution will result in refined risk and vulnerability assessments within local plans, thereby resulting in more robust and specific local mitigation strategies.

Maryland Transportation Administration

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment has been developed in response to Maryland’s Climate Action Plan (2008), produced by the Maryland Climate Change Commission, and to the Climate Change and Coast Smart Construction Executive Order (2012) as well as MTA’s Climate Change Policy. The purpose of the study is to identify MTA sensitive locations and assets that are vulnerable to three expected results of global climate change:

1. Sea level rise
2. Increased hurricane storm surge
3. Flooding due to major rain events

The information contained in this report will be used to inform planning decisions when determining which sites and sensitive locations and assets may require investment to reduce the likelihood or consequence of potential inundation and which would impair the provision of transit services. The Global Information Systems (GIS) layers developed for this study will assist in site selection of future planning projects by identifying if a proposed site is located within an area likely to be inundated under one of the three scenarios.

Maryland Department of the Environment

The State of Maryland in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been systematically updating Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for communities over the past several years. This site is designed to guide homeowners/renters as well as communities through the process of determining their current flood risk as well as future flood risk based on the preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs).

The DFIRMs are digitally converted flood insurance rates maps that will be compatible with GIS (Geographic Information Systems). The improvements in spatial accuracy provided by the new base map, and the availability of electronic floodplain information should greatly enhance the ability to use the maps for planning, permitting, and insurance applications.

Maryland’s Flood Map resources allows users to select their location on the map, the Flood Risk Application aids in determining their current flood risk based on Digital FIRMs (DFIRMs). The application also prompts users to launch a Flood Risk Guide, which helps users determine whether flood insurance is required or recommended for their property. Additionally, information on how to obtain and the benefits of having flood insurance is highlighted.

The Maryland Department of the Environment offers floodplain management technical assistance to local jurisdictions and encourages local participation in the Community Rating System (CRS). There are currently fourteen (14) CRS communities within the State.

Community Rating System

Maryland Environmental Service

In 1970, Maryland's Governor and legislators created Maryland Environmental Service to protect the State's air, land and water resources. Today, we continue to fulfill this vital directive.

The mission of Maryland Environmental Service is to provide operational and technical services to protect and enhance the environment for the benefit of the people of Maryland.

MES provides services at competitive rates to government and private sector clients and works on projects including water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, composting, recycling, dredged material management, hazardous materials cleanup, storm water services and renewable energy. We provide expert engineering, monitoring and inspection services.

Maryland Department of Information Technology

MD iMAP, Maryland’s Mapping & GIS Data Portal

MD IMAP data portal provides data that supports community planning. Statewide GIS initiatives represent collaboration between federal, state, and local entities for the purpose of improved data consistency and access. Many of these initiatives have collected similar, but disparate sets of information to produce standardized and seamless datasets. These datasets are leveraged for numerous useful applications that ultimately benefit the citizens of Maryland.

• MD IMMAP 2.0-MD iMAP is Maryland's Enterprise GIS. This platform includes a robust and reliable core infrastructure, access to GIS software and delivery of authoritative data and services to support the GIS community.
• The Maryland Statewide Address Initiative (MSAI) is a two-phase project aimed at collecting local data for the primary purpose of locating features within Maryland.
• Aerial imagery is essential for giving 9-1-1 dispatchers the proper context in the event of an emergency call. Publicly accessible aerial imagery for the entire state is available and updated regularly.
• The focus of the LiDAR Initiative is to improve public access to Maryland elevation data. The Topography Viewer and the Topography Server provide citizens with multiple options for viewing and interacting with both county and statewide elevation data products.
• With advances in communications technology, Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) systems have adapted to be based on Internet Protocols (IP) Standards. GIS data will play an important role in NG9-1-1 systems for a variety of functions.
• Operational and Situational Preparedness for Responding to an EmergencY (OSPREY) is a suite of tools to provide Marylanders many sources of real-time data, such as traffic cameras, weather and power outages. Data supplied to OSPREY comes from MD iMAP, as well as additional state, location and federal data sources.

Maryland Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Managers

The Maryland Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Managers is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization comprised of public and private representatives whose purpose is to:

• Promote public awareness, provide educational opportunities, and disseminate information concerned with sound floodplain and stormwater management;
• Encourage the exchange of information, data, and ideas; and
• Promote the professional status of floodplain managers, stormwater managers, and other practitioners.”

MAFSM supports the Maryland Resiliency Partnership by providing outreach and engagement opportunities throughout Maryland.

More information about MAFSM can be found at www.mafsm.org.