The Levee Was Dry

Legal updates & commentary on flood risk and floodplain management

Latest from The Levee Was Dry

Our April 26, 2023 article noted that the Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines (PR&G) are about money. The Federal government has a lot of money. Even in an era of budget cutting, it still has a lot of money, and it chooses to spend that money on a whole bunch of different things. One category of things it spends

Members of the Rangers led the First Continental Army during America’s Revolutionary War, and their “No man left behind” motto became a central fixture of U.S. military protocol. The slogan communicated the need to make sure that EVERYONE was taken care of. But do we have the same policy when it comes to levees? At the Federal level,

Indulge me for a moment by imagining that you’re preparing for the trip of a lifetime. As you dutifully click through your packing checklist, you also take the time to learn a few key foreign language words and phrases for the countries that you’ll be visiting. Experience has proven that knowing simple greetings and pleasantries

On April 1, 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released an official announcement (Release Number HQ-21-079) and Memorandum for Write Your Own (WYO) Principal Coordinators and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Direct Serving Agent (W-21003) outlining plans for implementing its new NFIP rating system known as Risk Rating 2.0 described by FEMA as

I’m a fan of Steven Wright’s sardonic humor and deadpan delivery (“I bought some powdered water… but I don’t know what to add to it.”).  Apparently, the US Army Corps of Engineers is also a fan of Wright-esque word play based on a recently announced series of WRDA implementation guidance listening sessions where they are

With a single tweet, President Trump ended months of speculation as to whether or not Congress would provide another round of COVID relief before the election.  As he announced on Twitter, the President has his sights on passing a post-election “major Stimulus Bill.”  While the outcome of the election is unforeseeable, the need for

During this pandemic, my crystal ball and I are social distancing; while I am working at home it is tucked away in my Capitol Hill office. Luckily, I was able to dig out my old magic-8 ball from the back of my closet, but each time I turn it over the message reads “Gone Fishing.”