Forerunner

Before we welcome the New Year, we want to take a moment to reflect on some of our key highlights from 2024. As we look back, we’re filled with gratitude for the progress we’ve made alongside community leaders across the country - and we’re more energized than ever to tackle new challenges in 2025. Review our year-end infographic below and stay tuned for exciting updates in the New Year!

Join us for our first webinar of 2025 featuring Lori Rafferty, Floodplain & CRS Administrator for Louisville & Jefferson County, Kentucky! Substantial damage declarations can be a challenging task for floodplain managers. Lori will join Forerunner to share Louisville Metro's approach to substantial damage planning and how it has strengthened community preparedness and flood risk mitigation. Register now: https://buff.ly/41rFP4y

Most floodplain management professionals’ responsibilities do not stop at mitigating flood risk. According to a new survey from Forerunner, 56% of respondents said that they're also responsible for urban planning and zoning, 58% are also responsible for public education and outreach, 44% are responsible for community engagement, and 42% are also responsible for emergency management. As flooding events become more frequent and intense, floodplain managers have to do more with less. The survey found that 57% of floodplain managers face a lack of funding and resources, and 45% lack sufficient staffing to complete the work necessary to protect their communities from flooding events. Forerunner’s software can help floodplain management teams bridge those gaps, unlock efficiency, and accomplish more - no additional staffing is required. Learn more about how Forerunner can add value to your community’s floodplain management work:

Communicating flood risk to residents is the top priority for floodplain managers as we move into 2025, according to our recent survey. However, scaling communication efforts to reach entire communities can be a significant challenge. That’s why an increasing number of communities are adopting public-facing flood websites, powered by Forerunner, to enhance residents' access to essential resources, like Elevation Certificates. Learn more about how Forerunner can help your team make vital flood risk information more accessible to residents:

Join us for our first webinar of 2025 featuring Lori Rafferty, Floodplain & CRS Administrator for Louisville & Jefferson County, Kentucky! Substantial damage declarations can be a challenging task for floodplain managers. Lori will join Forerunner to share Louisville Metro's approach to substantial damage planning and how it has strengthened community preparedness and flood risk mitigation. Register now: https://buff.ly/41rFP4y

According to a new survey conducted by Forerunner, more than half (52%) of floodplain managers surveyed say that reducing flood insurance costs for their residents is an important goal of theirs - but navigating the NFIP’s CRS to unlock insurance discounts can be time-consuming and frustrating. In fact, 20% of floodplain managers say that CRS documentation is one of the biggest challenges in their day-to-day work. Learn more about how Forerunner can help simplify the CRS process and help unlock flood insurance discounts for your community: https://buff.ly/4fj7cRt

This week, we're attending the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit in Key West, FL! We're excited to chat with leaders about their resilience work in Florida. If you're attending, please stop by our booth or presentation today at 3 pm. We'd love to show you a demo of Forerunner!

Which floodplain management measures are having the greatest impact on communities when it comes to mitigating flood risk? According to our new survey of floodplain managers, 65% of respondents said that requiring structures to be elevated was the most impactful action their community had taken, followed by the construction of floodwalls, dams, levees, and other flood control structures (33%), large-scale elevations and/or floodproofing projects (21%), real estate disclosure laws (16%) and adopting future-facing flood maps (14%). 57% of floodplain managers said their community plans to adopt higher regulatory standards in the coming year, and 41% are considering adopting stricter standards for development. Learn more here: https://buff.ly/49BGzpH

How aware is your community of its flood risk? The answer might surprise you. In a recent survey conducted by Forerunner, nearly one-third (30%) of responding floodplain managers across the U.S. said that their communities are uninformed about flood risk. Additionally, a quarter (25%) feel their communities are not adequately prepared to handle a flooding event. This awareness gap is potentially leaving millions of residents and properties exposed to unanticipated dangers and costs. Learn more about how Forerunner can be a resource in providing flood risk information to your community. https://buff.ly/3ZPv4Yx

Congratulations to Santa Barbara County, CA on the launch of Forerunner! The County looks forward to streamlining its floodplain management workflows by centralizing data and property records. They are also excited to automate resident outreach efforts and use a public website as a valuable resource for residents. We're thrilled to help Santa Barbara County foster resilience in California! County of Santa Barbara