Community Disaster Resilience Zones and the National Risk Index, 34171-34176 [2023-11268]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 102 / Friday, May 26, 2023 / Notices
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BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
[Docket ID: FEMA–2023–0009]
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Community Disaster Resilience Zones
and the National Risk Index
Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of
Homeland Security.
ACTION: Notice and request for
information.
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
www.regulations.gov 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
www.regulations.gov 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
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pamela Williams, Assistant
Administrator, Grants Programs,
Resilience, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, FEMA-CDRZRFI@fema.dhs.gov, 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
www.regulations.gov. 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
www.regulations.gov and search for the
Docket ID.
AGENCY:
II. Background
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
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
SUMMARY:
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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
1 FEMA, National Risk Index for Natural Hazards,
https://www.fema.gov/nri.
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), https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/
files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_
technical-documentation.pdf.
3 More information about these risk components
can be found in FEMA’s National Risk Index
Technical Documentation (March 2023), https://
www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_
national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf;
FEMA, Data Glossary, https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/
data-glossary (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
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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.
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, nonprofit, and private sector partners and
contributors,4 and provides users
analysis of their risk to a natural hazard.
The National Risk Index leverages bestavailable 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.
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.
FEMA publishes and maintains a
publicly available National Risk Indexspecific 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
III. Using the National Risk Index as
the Natural Hazard Risk Product
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
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
4 FEMA, Risk Index Contributors, https://
hazards.fema.gov/nri/contributors (last visited Mar.
23, 2023).
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), https://
www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_
national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf.
6 FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical
Documentation (March 2023), https://
www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_
national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf.
7 FEMA, National Risk Index Data Archive,
https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive (last
visited Mar. 23, 2023).
8 FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical
Documentation (March 2023), https://
www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_
national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf.
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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:
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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
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 placebased 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.
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
9 Other tools measure social vulnerability using
different analyses. See, e.g., Council on
Environmental Quality, Climate and Economic
Justice Screening Tool, Methodology, https://
screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/methodology#3/
33.47/-97.5 (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), https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
placeandhealth/svi/faq_svi.html (Oct. 26, 2022).
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, https://www.nist.gov/
community-resilience (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
12 University of South Carolina, Hazard and
Vulnerability Research Institute, Baseline Resilience
Indicators for Communities Index, 2020 Update,
https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/
artsandsciences/centers_and_institutes/hvri/data_
and_resources/bric/index.php (last visited Mar. 23,
2023).
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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:
• Update to census tract geographies
to reflect 2020 U.S. Census
modifications.
• Migration from the University of
South Carolina Social Vulnerability
Index (SoVI®) to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Social
Vulnerability Index for use as the social
vulnerability component of the National
Risk Index.
• Generation of Expected Annual
Loss data for some natural hazards for
American Samoa, Guam, Northern
Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and
United States Virgin Islands.
• Inclusion of precalculated Expected
Annual Loss Rates within schema and
data downloads.
• Enhancements to land cover/land
use data, including updated building
and population equivalence (monetized
fatalities and injuries) 13 values.
• Hazard specific methodology
updates for coastal flooding, drought,
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), https://
www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_
standard-economic-values-methodology-report_
092022.pdf. 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), https://www.transportation.gov/
office-policy/transportation-policy/reviseddepartmental-guidance-on-valuation-of-astatistical-life-in-economic-analysis. The newly
updated figure may be integrated into future
National Risk Index data updates.
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earthquake, hurricane, landslide,
tornado, and tsunami.
• Development of Hazard Risk Value
metric.
• Modification to how Social
Vulnerability and Community
Resilience values are applied to
Expected Annual Loss.
• Conversion of Composite and
Individual Hazard Risk Scores to
Percentiles.
• Historic hazard data period of
record updates.
• Enhanced methodology to estimate
Historic Loss Ratio values separately for
urban and rural communities.
• 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
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,
14 FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical
Documentation (March 2023), https://
www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_
national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf;
FEMA, National Risk Index Data Archive (March
2023), https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive.
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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?
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?
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
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?
15 FEMA, Hazus Software, https://www.fema.gov/
flood-maps/products-tools/hazus (last visited Mar.
23, 2023).
16 FEMA, Resilience Analysis & Planning Tool
(RAPT), https://www.fema.gov/emergency-
managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-andplanning-tool (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
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.
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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:
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B. Risk Assessment—Methodology
1. In general, how could FEMA
improve its National Risk Index
methodology used to understand,
measure, and communicate communitylevel 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?
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
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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
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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?
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
17 Argonne National Laboratory, Climate Risk &
Resilience Portal (ClimRR), https://
disgeoportal.egs.anl.gov/ClimRR/ (last visited Mar.
23, 2023).
18 U.S. Global Change Research Program, Climate
Mapping for Resilience and Adaption, https://
resilience.climate.gov/ (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
19 U.S. Global Change Research Program, U.S.
Climate Resilience Toolkit, https://
toolkit.climate.gov/ (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 May 25, 2023
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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?
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34175
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
E:\FR\FM\26MYN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 102 / Friday, May 26, 2023 / Notices
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?
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2023–0043;
FXES11140800000–234–FF08ECAR00]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Proposed Low-Effect
Habitat Conservation Plan for the
Sweetwater Authority Habitat
Management Program and Habitat
Recovery Project, County of San
Diego, CA
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce receipt of an
application for an incidental take permit
under the Endangered Species Act and
a draft habitat conservation plan from
the Sweetwater Authority. We request
public comment on the application,
which includes the applicant’s
proposed habitat conservation plan
(HCP), and on the Service’s preliminary
determination that the proposed
permitting action may be eligible for a
categorical exclusion pursuant to the
Council on Environmental Quality’s
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) regulations, the Department of
the Interior’s (DOI) NEPA regulations,
and the DOI Departmental Manual. To
make this preliminary determination,
we prepared a draft environmental
action statement and low-effect
screening form, which is also available
for public review. We invite comment
from the public and local, State, Tribal,
and Federal agencies.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please
send your written comments by June 26,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You
may obtain copies of the documents this
notice announces, along with public
comments received, online in Docket
No. FWS–R8–ES–2023–0043 at https://
www.regulations.gov.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments by one of the
following methods:
• Online: https://
www.regulations.gov. Search for and
submit comments on Docket No. FWS–
R8–ES–2023–0043.
• Email: fw8cfwocomments@fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Jonathan Snyder, Assistant Field
Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife
Office, 760–431–9440 (telephone).
Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have
a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
have received an application from the
Sweetwater Authority (applicant) for a
5-year incidental take permit for five
covered species pursuant to section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.). The applicant is seeking
a permit to incidentally take four animal
species and seeking assurance for one
plant species (all are federally listed
species) during the term of the proposed
5-year permit. The permit is needed to
authorize take of listed animal species
(including harm, death, and injury) in
the course of activities associated with
the implementation of the Sweetwater
Reservoir Habitat Management Program
(HMP), removal of the requirement to
hold reservoir water elevation at or
below 230 feet (ft), and implementation
of the Sweetwater Reservoir Wetlands
Habitat Recovery Project (HRP) within
the HMP area in San Diego County,
California. A conservation program to
avoid, minimize, and mitigate
anticipated impacts from project
activities would be implemented as
described in the habitat conservation
plan (HCP) prepared by the applicant.
We are requesting comments on the
permit application, which includes the
applicant’s habitat conservation plan
(HCP), and on the Service’s preliminary
determination that this proposed
incidental take permit qualifies as ‘‘low
effect’’ and may qualify for a categorical
exclusion pursuant to the Council on
Environmental Quality’s National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
regulations (40 CFR 1501.4), the
Department of the Interior’s (DOI) NEPA
regulations (43 CFR 46), and the DOI’s
Departmental Manual (516 DM
8.5(C)(2)). To make this preliminary
determination, we prepared a draft
environmental action statement and
low-effect screening form, which is also
available for public review.
Background
Section 9 of the Act and its
implementing Federal regulations
prohibit the take of animal species listed
as endangered or threatened. ‘‘Take’’ is
defined under the Act as to harass,
harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill,
trap, capture, or collect listed animal
species, or to attempt to engage in such
conduct (16 U.S.C. 1538). However,
E:\FR\FM\26MYN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34171-34176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11268]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 www.regulations.gov 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
www.regulations.gov 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 www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Williams, Assistant
Administrator, Grants Programs, Resilience, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, [email protected], 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 www.regulations.gov. 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 www.regulations.gov 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ FEMA, National Risk Index for Natural Hazards, https://www.fema.gov/nri.
\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), https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf.
\3\ More information about these risk components can be found in
FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation (March 2023),
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf; FEMA, Data Glossary, https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-glossary (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ FEMA, Risk Index Contributors, https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/contributors (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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), https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical Documentation (March
2023), https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf.
\7\ FEMA, National Risk Index Data Archive, https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ FEMA, National Risk Index, Technical Documentation (March
2023), https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Other tools measure social vulnerability using different
analyses. See, e.g., Council on Environmental Quality, Climate and
Economic Justice Screening Tool, Methodology, https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/methodology#3/33.47/-97.5 (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), https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/faq_svi.html (Oct. 26, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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, https://www.nist.gov/community-resilience (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\12\ University of South Carolina, Hazard and Vulnerability
Research Institute, Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities
Index, 2020 Update, https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/centers_and_institutes/hvri/data_and_resources/bric/index.php (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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:
Update to census tract geographies to reflect 2020 U.S.
Census modifications.
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.
Generation of Expected Annual Loss data for some natural
hazards for American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto
Rico, and United States Virgin Islands.
Inclusion of precalculated Expected Annual Loss Rates
within schema and data downloads.
Enhancements to land cover/land use data, including
updated building and population equivalence (monetized fatalities and
injuries) \13\ values.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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),
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_standard-economic-values-methodology-report_092022.pdf. 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), https://www.transportation.gov/office-policy/transportation-policy/revised-departmental-guidance-on-valuation-of-a-statistical-life-in-economic-analysis. The newly updated figure may be integrated into
future National Risk Index data updates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hazard specific methodology updates for coastal flooding,
drought, earthquake, hurricane, landslide, tornado, and tsunami.
Development of Hazard Risk Value metric.
Modification to how Social Vulnerability and Community
Resilience values are applied to Expected Annual Loss.
Conversion of Composite and Individual Hazard Risk Scores
to Percentiles.
Historic hazard data period of record updates.
Enhanced methodology to estimate Historic Loss Ratio
values separately for urban and rural communities.
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), https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_national-risk-index_technical-documentation.pdf; FEMA, National
Risk Index Data Archive (March 2023), https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/data-archive.
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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, https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/products-tools/hazus (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\16\ FEMA, Resilience Analysis & Planning Tool (RAPT), https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool (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), https://disgeoportal.egs.anl.gov/ClimRR/ (last
visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\18\ U.S. Global Change Research Program, Climate Mapping for
Resilience and Adaption, https://resilience.climate.gov/ (last
visited Mar. 23, 2023).
\19\ U.S. Global Change Research Program, U.S. Climate
Resilience Toolkit, https://toolkit.climate.gov/ (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
