Notice2023-11268
Community Disaster Resilience Zones and the National Risk Index
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Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 26, 2023
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentFederal Emergency Management Agency
Abstract
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing this notice and request for information (RFI) to seek input from the public on implementation of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022, including updates to the methodology and data used for the National Risk Index and any other hazard assessment products; potential improvements to FEMA's provision of hazard data; the process used to designate community disaster resilience zones; financial and technical assistance for resilience or mitigation projects primarily benefitting community disaster resilience zones; and the community disaster resilience zone project application and certification process.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 102 (Friday, May 26, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34171-34176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11268]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID: FEMA-2023-0009]
Community Disaster Resilience Zones and the National Risk Index
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: Notice and request for information.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing this
notice and request for information (RFI) to seek input from the public
on implementation of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of
2022, including updates to the methodology and data used for the
National Risk Index and any other hazard assessment products; potential
improvements to FEMA's provision of hazard data; the process used to
designate community disaster resilience zones; financial and technical
assistance for resilience or mitigation projects primarily benefitting
community disaster resilience zones; and the community disaster
resilience zone project application and certification process.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than July 25, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> under Docket ID:
FEMA-2023-0009. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. All
submissions received must include the agency name and Docket ID, and
will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and will include any personal information you
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You
may wish to read the Privacy and Security Notice that is available via
a link on the homepage of <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Williams, Assistant
Administrator, Grants Programs, Resilience, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b2f4f7fff39ff1f6e0e89fe0f4fbf2d4d7dfd39cd6dac19cd5ddc4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="084e4d4549254b4c5a52255a4e41486e6d6569266c607b266f677e">[email protected]</span></a>, 202-212-8007.
I. Public Participation
Interested persons are invited to comment on this notice by
submitting written data, views, or arguments using the method
identified in the ADDRESSES section.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
Docket ID for this notice. All comments received will be posted without
change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Commenters are encouraged to identify
the number of the specific question or questions to which they are
responding.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and search for the Docket
ID.
II. Background
A. Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act
The Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022, Public Law
117-255, 136 Stat. 2363, amended title II of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)
(Stafford Act) to add a new section 206 (42 U.S.C. 5136) that requires
the: (1) maintenance of a natural hazard assessment program and
development and maintenance of products for the public's use that show
the risk of natural hazards through use of risk ratings at the census
tract level; and (2) designation of, at the census tract level,
community disaster resilience zones based on the natural hazard risk
ratings derived from a natural hazard risk product maintained by the
natural hazard assessment program.
Section 206 also provides FEMA the discretion to: (1) increase the
Federal cost share to not more than 90 percent under the Building
Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program for mitigation
projects within, or primarily benefiting, a community disaster
resilience zone; (2) provide financial and technical assistance to
State, local, Tribal, and Territorial governments for project planning
assistance to carry out activities in preparation for a mitigation
project; and (3) establish a process for FEMA certification, and
provide certification for mitigation projects within, or primarily
benefiting, a community disaster resilience zone.
B. FEMA National Risk Index
In November 2020, FEMA announced the availability of the National
Risk Index with limited access to data. On August 16, 2021, FEMA
released a full web application which enhanced the data and report
functionality.\1\ The National Risk Index data and application were
updated on March 23, 2023 (detailed below). The National Risk Index is
a publicly available dataset and online mapping application that
identifies the U.S. communities at most risk for 18 different natural
hazards. The 18 hazard types evaluated by the National Risk Index were
chosen after reviewing FEMA-approved State Hazard Mitigation Plans for
all 50 states in early 2016.\2\ The National Risk Index application
visualizes natural hazard risk metrics and includes important data
about expected annual losses, social vulnerability, and community
resilience.\3\ All National Risk Index data
[[Page 34172]]
are publicly available in spatial and tabular formats. The National
Risk Index data are derived probabilistic data sources or built from
historic event and historic loss information, and are aggregated to the
county and census tract levels, thus providing a baseline risk
assessment and natural hazard risk profiles. While natural hazard
occurrences can induce secondary natural hazard occurrences, only
primary natural hazard occurrences (and not their results or after-
effects) are considered in the National Risk Index.
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\1\ FEMA, National Risk Index for Natural Hazards, <a href="https://www.fema.gov/nri">https://www.fema.gov/nri</a>.
\2\ More information about data availability can be found in
FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation. FEMA, National
Risk Index, Technical Documentation, Chapters 5-1 to 5-2 (March
2023), <a href="https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf">https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf</a>.
\3\ More information about these risk components can be found in
FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation (March 2023),
<a href="http://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf">http://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf</a>; FEMA, Data Glossary, <a href="https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-glossary">https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-glossary</a> (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
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Currently, the National Risk Index does not account for future
conditions or anticipated impacts due to climate change.
With current National Risk Index information, users can discover a
holistic view of their community's baseline and current risk from
natural hazards via online maps and data downloads. With improved
understanding of natural hazard risk, users can take action to reduce
it and build more resilient communities. Potential users might be
planners and emergency managers at the State, local, Tribal,
Territorial, and Federal levels; as well as other decision makers,
private sector entities and interested members of the public. The
interactive mapping application can help decision makers better prepare
for and mitigate natural hazard events by providing standardized risk
data for planning and an overview of multiple risk factors. In turn,
these data can help State, local, Tribal, or Territorial governments
develop FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plans, required to apply for
and/or receive certain FEMA assistance and mitigation grants. More
importantly, use of these data can help all users plan for disasters
and increase resilience.
The National Risk Index is different from other traditional hazard
data and models because of the scope and scale of its analyses. For
communities that do not have access to natural hazard risk assessment
services, the National Risk Index is a valuable product since it uses
authoritative data from a variety of Federal, State, local, academic,
non-profit, and private sector partners and contributors,\4\ and
provides users analysis of their risk to a natural hazard. The National
Risk Index leverages best-available source data and methods to provide
a holistic view of the current and baseline community-level risk
nationwide by combining multiple hazards with socioeconomic and built
environment factors.
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\4\ FEMA, Risk Index Contributors, <a href="https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/contributors">https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/contributors</a> (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
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In addition to Federal collaborators, the National Risk Index
incorporates data from a wide range of relevant sources across the
country to ensure the tool's robustness.\5\ This includes more than 90
partners across the public and private sectors, including State,
regional and local government agencies; academia; private
organizations; and nonprofits. Data were collected from best available
resources between 2018 and 2023.
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\5\ More information on the review and selection process for
data used in the National Risk Index is available in the Technical
Documentation. See FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical
Documentation, 2-4 to 2-6 (March 2023), <a href="https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf">https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf</a>.
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FEMA publishes and maintains a publicly available National Risk
Index-specific Technical Document to highlight the National Risk Index
research and methodologies for developing all components of the
tool.\6\ Previously released National Risk Index data versions,
documentation, and data updates documentation are available through the
National Risk Index Data Archive.\7\
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\6\ FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical Documentation (March
2023), <a href="https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf">https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf</a>.
\7\ FEMA, National Risk Index Data Archive, <a href="https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive">https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive</a> (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
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III. Using the National Risk Index as the Natural Hazard Risk Product
A. Alignment With Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act Requirements
Section 206(c) (42 U.S.C. 5136(c)) specifies the natural hazard
risk product must (1) show the risk of natural hazards; and (2) include
ratings and data for loss exposure, social vulnerability, community
resilience, and any other element determined necessary by the
President. Section 206(e) (42 U.S.C. 5136(e)) requires FEMA to receive
public input on the methodology and data used for the product.
As currently maintained, the National Risk Index meets the
Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act requirements for a natural
hazard risk product that can serve as the basis for community disaster
resilience zone designations under section 206(d) (42 U.S.C. 5136(d)).
The National Risk Index includes three components to define natural
hazard risk: (1) a community's expected annual loss, based on hazard
frequency, exposure, and historic loss ratio for buildings, population
equivalence, and agriculture; (2) social vulnerability; and (3)
community resilience.
Overall risk index scores and individual natural hazard risk index
scores are calculated for each county and census tract included in the
National Risk Index. An overall risk index score measures the risk of a
location considering all 18 natural hazards included in the index. An
individual natural hazard risk index score measures the risk of a
location for a single natural hazard.
The National Risk Index uses the following equation to derive a
risk index score, which is described in more detail below:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26MY23.028
Expected Annual Loss measures the potential average annual expected
loss of building value, population/population equivalence (monetized
fatalities and injuries), and agricultural (crop and livestock) value
due to natural hazards. Data sources include, but are not limited to
FEMA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Census,
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS), and are detailed in the National Risk Index Technical
Documentation.\8\
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\8\ FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical Documentation (March
2023), <a href="https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf">https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf</a>.
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Social Vulnerability measures the susceptibility of populations to
the adverse impacts of natural hazards. A relatively higher social
vulnerability score indicates that the community is
[[Page 34173]]
either more likely to experience adverse impacts or that the impacts
will be more severe. The National Risk Index currently uses the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Social Vulnerability Index to measure social
vulnerability.\9\ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Social Vulnerability Index does not have data for American Samoa, Guam,
Northern Mariana Islands, or United States Virgin Islands.\10\
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\9\ Other tools measure social vulnerability using different
analyses. See, e.g., Council on Environmental Quality, Climate and
Economic Justice Screening Tool, Methodology, <a href="https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/methodology#3/33.47/-97.5">https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/methodology#3/33.47/-97.5</a> (last
visited May 2, 2023).
\10\ Sociodemographic census variables for Guam, American Samoa,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands are
unavailable or are not collected at the geographic resolutions
required for CDC/ATSDR SVI. See CDC/ATSDR SVI Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ), <a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/faq_svi.html">https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/faq_svi.html</a> (Oct. 26, 2022).
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Community Resilience measures the ability of a community to prepare
for anticipated natural hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and
withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions.\11\ The National Risk
Index uses the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities index
\12\ to measure community resilience. The Baseline Resilience
Indicators for Communities is a place-based measurement of community
resilience accounting for social, economic, community capital,
institutional, infrastructural, and environmental resilience factors. A
community with a relatively higher community resilience score indicates
that community is more likely to absorb adverse natural hazard impacts.
The Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities does not have data
for U.S. territories, and the data are only available at the county
level.
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\11\ This is based on a National Institute of Standards and
Technology definition. See National Risk Index, Technical
Documentation at 4-3; National Institute of Standards and
Technology, Community Resilience, <a href="https://www.nist.gov/community-resilience">https://www.nist.gov/community-resilience</a> (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\12\ University of South Carolina, Hazard and Vulnerability
Research Institute, Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities
Index, 2020 Update, <a href="https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/centers_and_institutes/hvri/data_and_resources/bric/index.php">https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/centers_and_institutes/hvri/data_and_resources/bric/index.php</a> (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
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The National Risk Index is only a snapshot of natural hazard risk
primarily based on historically derived and generated hazard
information (data collection timeframes are detailed in the National
Risk Index Technical Documentation). This produces a baseline for
natural hazard risk across the U.S. As the landscape of natural
hazards, the built environment, and land use change over time, the
National Risk Index must be updated to reflect these changes and to
anticipate future conditions. To understand effects of changing climate
on natural hazard risk, future conditions data are needed to support
the creation of future natural hazard risk data. This includes, but is
not limited to, natural hazard frequency, exposure, intensity and
duration, building stock, population and demographics, and crop and
livestock data.
B. Updates to the National Risk Index
To further improve its suitability for Community Disaster
Resilience Zone Act implementation, FEMA made several data and
methodology changes to the National Risk Index as detailed below. These
changes improve accuracy, address user feedback and needs, enable
measurement of risk over time, and support future integration of
climate change data.
As part of the National Risk Index data version 1.19.0 release on
March 23, 2023, the following changes were made:
<bullet> Update to census tract geographies to reflect 2020 U.S.
Census modifications.
<bullet> Migration from the University of South Carolina Social
Vulnerability Index (SoVI[supreg]) to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Social Vulnerability Index for use as the social
vulnerability component of the National Risk Index.
<bullet> Generation of Expected Annual Loss data for some natural
hazards for American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto
Rico, and United States Virgin Islands.
<bullet> Inclusion of precalculated Expected Annual Loss Rates
within schema and data downloads.
<bullet> Enhancements to land cover/land use data, including
updated building and population equivalence (monetized fatalities and
injuries) \13\ values.
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\13\ FEMA quantifies loss of life and injury using a Value of
Statistical Life figure, which was increased in 2021. See Benefit-
Cost Analysis Sustainment and Enhancements: Draft Standard Economic
Values Methodology Report, Version 11.0, at 17 (September 2022),
<a href="https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_standard-economic-values-methodology-report_092022.pdf">https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_standard-economic-values-methodology-report_092022.pdf</a>. This Value of
Statistical Life figure was updated again after the National Risk
Index data version 1.19.0 was released. See Department of
Transportation, Departmental Guidance on Valuation of a Statistical
Life in Economic Analysis (May 1, 2023), <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/office-policy/transportation-policy/revised-departmental-guidance-on-valuation-of-a-statistical-life-in-economic-analysis">https://www.transportation.gov/office-policy/transportation-policy/revised-departmental-guidance-on-valuation-of-a-statistical-life-in-economic-analysis</a>. The newly updated figure may be integrated into
future National Risk Index data updates.
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<bullet> Hazard specific methodology updates for coastal flooding,
drought, earthquake, hurricane, landslide, tornado, and tsunami.
<bullet> Development of Hazard Risk Value metric.
<bullet> Modification to how Social Vulnerability and Community
Resilience values are applied to Expected Annual Loss.
<bullet> Conversion of Composite and Individual Hazard Risk Scores
to Percentiles.
<bullet> Historic hazard data period of record updates.
<bullet> Enhanced methodology to estimate Historic Loss Ratio
values separately for urban and rural communities.
<bullet> Application enhancements to static pages, map viewer, map
sidebar, and reports.
Current National Risk Index data and methodologies are detailed in
the National Risk Index Technical Documentation, and more information
about these and previous changes to data and methodologies are
available in the Data Version and Update Documentation found on the
National Risk Index Data Archive Page.\14\
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\14\ FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical Documentation (March
2023), <a href="https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf">https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf</a>; FEMA, National
Risk Index Data Archive (March 2023), <a href="https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive">https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive</a>.
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IV. Designating Community Disaster Resilience Zones and Targeting
Assistance
Section 206(d) (42 U.S.C. 5136(d)) requires that FEMA designate
zones at the census tract level based on the natural hazard risk
ratings derived from a natural hazard risk product maintained by the
natural hazard assessment program. At a minimum, the community disaster
resilience zones must include the 50 census tracts with the highest
individual hazard risk ratings nationwide and at least one percent of
high-risk census tracts in each State, maintaining a geographic balance
across coastal, inland, urban, suburban, and rural areas and including
census tracts on Tribal lands. The risk ratings used to designate the
zones may also use any other elements determined by the President.
Section 206(d)(4) specifies that community disaster resilience zone
designations shall be effective for a period of no less than five
years.
As amended by the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act, section
206(h) (42 U.S.C. 5136(h)) provides FEMA the discretion to provide
financial and technical assistance to State, local, Tribal, and
Territorial governments that plan to perform a resilience or mitigation
project within,
[[Page 34174]]
or that primarily benefits, a community disaster resilience zone.
Section 206(h)(2) specifies that the purpose of this assistance is to
support activities or preparation for a resilience or mitigation
project or seek an evaluation and certification for a resilience or
mitigation project before permanent work of the project begins. Section
206(h)(4) provides that FEMA may use funding it sets aside pursuant to
section 203(i) of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5133(i)) to fund the
financial and technical assistance for resilience or mitigation project
planning.
V. Questions for Commenters
Consistent with the requirements of the Community Disaster
Resilience Zones Act, FEMA seeks input from the public on the
methodology and data used for its hazard assessment products, and other
potential improvements to FEMA's provision of hazard data to inform
future updates. Additionally, FEMA requests initial comment on the
process used to designate these zones and the types of financial and
technical assistance for resilience or mitigation projects that would
benefit identified communities and serve as a catalyst for additional
resilience investments in these communities. The following list of
questions is non-exhaustive and is meant to assist members of the
public in the formulation of comments. It is not intended to restrict
the issues that commenters may address:
A. Risk Assessment--General Questions
1. How does your organization use risk assessment products and
associated risk ratings? What products do you use and why are they
useful? How does your organization vet risk assessment tools and
products? Are there additional data, information, analysis
capabilities, or metrics that would be useful? Are there data that you
do not currently have access to, but would like?
2. Does your organization use the National Risk Index? How does
your organization use the National Risk Index? What are the time
horizons for decisions your organization is making using the National
Risk Index (e.g., projects that will take place in 5, 20, 50+ years)?
Are there specific features or aspects of the National Risk Index that
you find particularly useful? Are there specific features or aspects
that you would like to change? Does the addition of Expected Annual
Loss Rate help in how your organization understands relative natural
hazard risk? Would providing additional built in data filters (e.g.,
Hazard Mitigation Plan Status, National Flood Insurance Program
participation, FEMA Disaster Declarations, Justice40 initiative
investments, etc.) benefit the usability of National Risk Index data?
3. Risk Assessment capability within FEMA traditionally uses
nationally available data. Some tools (including but not limited to
Hazus \15\ and he Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool \16\) allow
users to upload local information for decision support. How can FEMA
work with State, local, Tribal, and Territorial partners to understand
what more detailed information exists and how it can be incorporated
into national level decision support tools? Should FEMA maintain
products with baseline natural hazard risk data from consistently
available national data sources and an enhanced product with additional
local information? Are there specific features or aspects of the
National Risk Index that you find particularly useful including
features that could be added or altered?
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\15\ FEMA, Hazus Software, <a href="https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/hazus">https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/hazus</a> (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\16\ FEMA, Resilience Analysis & Planning Tool (RAPT), <a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool">https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool</a> (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
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4. Is there potential to combine or integrate FEMA's hazard
assessment products with other tools? If so, which tools and how?
5. Are there ways that FEMA could provide better outreach to
communities and individuals with fewer resources to encourage use of
its hazard assessment products? Are there partnerships that FEMA could
explore to improve its outreach (and if so, with whom)? What other ways
can FEMA and its partners present data and information to users to make
data actionable? What other support could FEMA provide to help
communities act on this information?
B. Risk Assessment--Methodology
1. In general, how could FEMA improve its National Risk Index
methodology used to understand, measure, and communicate community-
level natural hazard risk across the country? Are there any potential
biases within the National Risk Index data or methods? What methods
exist for addressing these biases?
2. Do you have any feedback on the formula used to derive the
National Risk Index risk ratings or the specific data used to measure
expected annual loss, social vulnerability, or community resilience?
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26MY23.029
3. The National Risk Index incorporates Expected Annual Loss
information for 18 different natural hazards. Are there ways that the
National Risk Index could better represent these data? If so, how? What
research exists to help guide FEMA in the development of Expected
Annual Loss beyond the current methodology? What additional information
should FEMA consider for the Expected Annual Loss factor?
4. While the National Risk Index incorporates the Centers for
Disease Control and Preventions' Social Vulnerability Index, are there
ways that the National Risk Index could better represent the broader
societal impacts of natural hazards and/or measure how different
populations are vulnerable to natural hazards? If so, how and based on
what research? What research exists to explain the validity or
predictability of social vulnerability factors and models?
5. The National Risk Index incorporates the Baseline Resilience
Indicators for Communities as the Community Resilience component. Are
there ways the National Risk Index could better represent resilient
communities? If so, how? Recognizing that the Baseline Resilience
Indicators for Communities does not currently include Territories, how
can the Community Resilience component better measure Territories? What
research exists to explain the validity or predictability of community
resilience models?
C. Risk Assessment--Data
1. What mechanism exists or could be created to ensure that the
National Risk Index is using the best available data? What additional
information should be considered when developing the National Risk
Index? How would these resources be incorporated? How often
[[Page 34175]]
should this information be reviewed and incorporated? How often should
the National Risk Index data be updated?
2. What additional data sources should FEMA consider for the
National Risk Index? Are these data sources national, including full
U.S. Territory coverage or local/State equivalent specific, and are
they publicly available? What is the period of record? How often are
these data sources updated?
3. Can FEMA leverage new technologies to refine its risk assessment
products? If so, what are they, and how can FEMA use new technologies?
4. What data could FEMA use to include place-based approaches for
the U.S. Territories, including but not limited to frequency, exposure,
and historic loss ratio data for hazards or social vulnerability and
community resilience data?
D. Climate Change and Future Conditions Data
1. How should FEMA incorporate climate change and future conditions
data into the National Risk Index? What tools/data sources should FEMA
consider (e.g., Climate Risk & Resilience Portal,\17\ Climate Mapping
for Resilience and Adaptation Tool,\18\ or U.S. Climate Resilience
Toolkit \19\) when expanding the National Risk Index to include
anticipated impacts due to climate change? Who should FEMA consult with
and include when developing this possible expansion?
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\17\ Argonne National Laboratory, Climate Risk & Resilience
Portal (ClimRR), <a href="https://disgeoportal.egs.anl.gov/ClimRR/">https://disgeoportal.egs.anl.gov/ClimRR/</a> (last
visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\18\ U.S. Global Change Research Program, Climate Mapping for
Resilience and Adaption, <a href="https://resilience.climate.gov/">https://resilience.climate.gov/</a> (last
visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\19\ U.S. Global Change Research Program, U.S. Climate
Resilience Toolkit, <a href="https://toolkit.climate.gov/">https://toolkit.climate.gov/</a> (last visited Mar.
23, 2023).
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2. How could the National Risk Index incorporate ``derivative
climate change,'' and/or the cascading effects of natural hazard
incidents? Which data or models could be utilized to show this
relationship?
3. What solutions exist that account for potential future
resilience efforts (including but not limited to future building codes,
land use planning and zoning, or nature-based solutions)? What existing
data or methods are publicly available to support climate change data
integration into the National Risk Index? What future conditions data
and information exist to support the non-hazard components (i.e.,
economic, infrastructural, coping capacity) of the National Risk Index?
What future population growth and movement, demographics, landscape
change, building development, agriculture, cultivated crops, etc.
information exists and how can these be applied to the existing
National Risk Index framework? Are these linked with specific emissions
scenarios? If not, how could they be linked to expected emissions?
E. Questions To Identify Community Disaster Resilience Zones
1. In accordance with the legislation, FEMA will designate
community disaster resilience zones at the census tract level. How can
FEMA best communicate this designation once it has been made to the
relevant jurisdictions and communities? What additional data and
information would be useful to communities who are designated community
disaster resilience zones? Would it be beneficial for FEMA to use a
phased in approach or announce in stages, making adjustments to the
selection methodology based on lessons learned, feedback and results?
If so, what data and information should FEMA consider for a phased
approach and how frequently should these designations be reviewed and
how? How can FEMA best include climate change, land use change, and
demographic changes in these designations?
2. In addition to the census tracts based National Risk Index risk
ratings and inclusion of Tribal lands, the legislation directs
consideration of coastal, inland, urban, suburban, and rural areas for
geographic balance. What additional criteria should FEMA consider in
determining how to achieve geographic balance?
3. In the absence of social vulnerability and community resilience
data for the U.S. Territories, how should FEMA help Territories
prioritize census tracts and resources based on the level of risk and
vulnerability in each community, as well as the unique characteristics
of each community, so that resources can be allocated more efficiently
and effectively to support disaster resilience efforts?
4. How should FEMA work with State, local, Tribal and Territorial
Governments in designating zones? How can FEMA Partner with States,
Tribes and Territorial government in working with local governments
with community disaster resilience zones? What can FEMA do to help
ensure community disaster resilience zones are supported by State,
local, Tribal, and Territorial resilience efforts? Are there specific
considerations that should be taken into account when designating zones
in Tribes and Territories?
5. In what ways could FEMA encourage collaboration across
jurisdictional boundaries to support a community's ability to reduce
hazard risk?
6. What are the significant barriers that potential community
disaster resilience zones face in accessing and leveraging Federal
resources, and how can FEMA and other Federal agencies assist them in
overcoming these barriers and make this process more equitable?
F. Resilience or Mitigation Project Planning Assistance
1. What would be the most useful and equitable way for FEMA to
provide financial and technical assistance to benefit communities with
Community Disaster Resilience Zones to plan, apply for, and evaluate
resilience or mitigation projects?
2. How can FEMA support comprehensive community resilience planning
to benefit community disaster resilience zones and the larger
communities those census tracts lie within?
3. How should FEMA engage with State, local, Tribal, Territorial,
and nongovernmental levels to provide technical assistance to benefit
communities within Community Disaster Resilience Zones?
4. What activities could FEMA undertake to help community disaster
resilience zones understand and implement the types of projects,
activities, or services that would minimize/reduce natural hazard risk?
5. What are potential unintended consequences of designating these
zones and/or implementing other parts of this legislation that should
be considered?
G. Community Disaster Resilience Zone Project Application and
Certification Process and Other Investment Opportunities
1. As amended by the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act,
section 206(i) of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5136(i)) provides FEMA
the discretion to execute an evaluation and certification program for
projects within, or primarily benefiting, a community disaster
resilience zone. FEMA may evaluate prospective projects to determine if
the project is designed to reduce injuries, loss of life, or damage and
destruction of property, such as damage to critical services and
facilities; and substantially reduces the risk of, or increases
resilience to, future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering. What is the
most equitable way for FEMA to implement a certification process to
minimize applicant burden while ensuring the most beneficial
[[Page 34176]]
projects move forward, given this criteria? How should FEMA determine
the extent to which proposed projects benefit the individual census
tract(s) and promote comprehensive community-wide resilience?
2. How can the identified community disaster resilience zones and
FEMA's assistance amplify other Federal and non-Federal programs to
direct resources to communities with high risk to natural hazards, high
social vulnerability and low community resilience? What other programs
would be complementary?
3. How can FEMA monitor progress of improving resilience in
community disaster resilience zones over time? What are key data and
other metrics that can be used to monitor and evaluate progress?
4. In what ways could FEMA use the community disaster resilience
zone designation as a catalyst for Federal and non-Federal funding,
e.g., encouraging communities with the designation to partner with non-
governmental entities, such as private non-profit organizations,
philanthropy, and private equity, to drive investments to benefit
designated communities?
5. For mitigation projects that benefit large areas covering many
census tracts, how can FEMA help applicants determine if the project is
``within'' or ``primarily benefits'' a community disaster resilience
zone? What tools or resources would help potential applicants design
projects that prioritize these identified communities? How should these
projects be evaluated for their efficacy in reducing natural hazard
risk?
H. Community Disaster Resilience Zone Projects Causing Displacement
1. How can FEMA best ensure any residents displaced by resilience
or mitigation projects receive equitable treatment?
2. How can FEMA ensure comprehensive community engagement is a
central component of any community resilience planning and project
implementation for Community Disaster Resilience Zones?
3. How can FEMA work with local jurisdictions designated as
Community Disaster Resilience Zones to support community driven
relocation, where appropriate?
Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2023-11268 Filed 5-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-12-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.