Nebraska § 61-228 - State flood mitigation plan; department; duties.

§ 61-228. State flood mitigation plan; department; duties.

The Department of Water, Energy, and Environment shall:

(1) Evaluate the flood issues that occurred in 2019, and identify cost-effective flood mitigation strategies that should be adopted to reduce the disruption of lives and livelihoods and prioritize making Nebraska communities more resilient;

(2) Identify opportunities to implement flood hazard mitigation strategies with the intent to reduce the impact of flood events;

(3) Work to improve knowledge and understanding of available recovery resources while identifying potential gaps in current disaster program delivery;

(4) Identify potential available funding sources that can be accessed to improve the resilience of the state through flood mitigation and post-flood disaster recovery. The funding sources shall include, but not be limited to, assistance from (a) the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Public Assistance Program, and Individual Assistance Program, (b) the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Program and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program, and (c) programs of the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Identification of such funding sources shall be in addition to grants and cost-sharing programs available through other agencies that support flood hazard mitigation planning in communities;

(5) Compile a centralized list of critical infrastructure and state-owned facilities and identify those with the highest risk of flooding. In compiling such list, the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment shall consult and collaborate with other state and local agencies that have information that identifies vulnerable facilities;

(6) Evaluate state laws, rules, regulations, policies, and programs related to flood hazard mitigation and development in flood hazard-prone areas to support the state's administration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program, Community Rating System, and Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning Program;

(7) Examine existing law and, if necessary, recommend statutory or administrative changes to help ensure collaboration and coordination between state and local entities in statewide flood mitigation planning; and

(8) Hold two public hearings, one prior to the first state flood mitigation plan development meeting and one prior to the completion of such plan. Notice of each hearing shall be published at least thirty days prior to the hearing date.