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Volume 32, No. 3 | Spring 2026
A newsletter for Connecticut's Floodplain Managers
Free Climate Risk Mapping Tool
In September 2025, the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) partnered with First Street to provide a free, online, property-specific climate risk tool for Connecticut residents. The tool uses scientific data to help homeowners, buyers, and investors understand risks from flooding, wildfire, extreme heat, air quality and hurricane wind hazards. This tool can help Connecticut residents make informed decisions about their insurance needs. Users can enter any Connecticut address to view maps to receive detailed, property-specific climate-risk assessments, understanding their exposure to extreme weather today and into the future.
The climate risk mapping tool is also part of CID's new Consumer Information Center. Designed to give residents information about several types of insurance (health, life, auto, homeowner's, and flood), the information center includes the climate risk tool along with other resources related to flood insurance, flood claims, flood maps, and preparedness.
USGS Compound Flood Risk Mapper
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Long Island Sound Partnership has released a new Compound Flood Hazard Assessment Mapper. It is an interactive tool developed by the USGS New York Water Science Center that helps users explore the combined impacts of multiple flooding drivers across the New York and Connecticut coastal region.
Compound flooding is flooding that results from a co-occurrence of multiple flood drivers: precipitation events (pluvial flooding, overland flow of stormwater), incidents of coastal storm surge and tidal flooding (coastal flooding), and flooding that occurs as a shallow water table rises above the land surface or critical infrastructure (groundwater emergence flooding).
This mapper presents individual and combined flood hazard scores on a 900-meter by 900-meter grid over a study area which encompasses New York City, and Long Island, and Long Island Sound Watersheds in Southeastern New York and Southern Connecticut. Additional maps displaying flood influencing variables for the respective drivers and the extent of coastal area inundation and groundwater emergence flooding under current conditions and for different coastal water levels are also presented.
The map visually displays hazard rankings and spatial patterns of flood drivers so that planners, emergency managers, researchers, and the public can better understand where these flood hazards are most likely to coincide, thus supporting local decision making for flood mitigation, coastal planning, and resilience strategies. The application is based on USGS models and ongoing research into regional flood processes.
Connecticut Flood Mapping Update
The federal shutdown in autumn 2025 has significantly changed or delayed many of the flood map update projects currently in process in Connecticut. All dates provided below are tentative and subject to change. All preliminary flood maps can be found on FEMA's Map Service Center website.
Farmington River Watershed, Hartford County - Avon, Bloomfield, Bristol, Burlington, Canton, East Granby, Farmington, Granby, Hartland, Plainville, Simsbury, Suffield, West Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks. A Letter of Final Determination (LFD) from FEMA is anticipated to be issued on May 13, 2026. An open house for residents to discuss maps and insurance with FEMA is anticipated in August 2026, location to be determined. Effective flood maps and studies are anticipated on November 13, 2026.
Saugatuck River Watershed - Bethel, Bridgeport, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Newtown, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, Wilton. This study will be combined with the Housatonic River watershed and Farmington River Litchfield County watershed projects. Revised preliminary maps are scheduled for release on November 3, 2026. Effective flood maps and studies are anticipated in early 2029.
Housatonic River Watershed - Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Bristol, Brookfield, Canaan, Cheshire, Cornwall, Danbury, Derby, Easton, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Middlebury, Milford, Monroe, Morris, Naugatuck, New Fairfield, New Hartford, New Milford, Newtown, Norfolk, North Canaan, Orange, Oxford, Plymouth, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Salisbury, Seymour, Sharon, Shelton, Sherman, Southbury, Stratford, Thomaston, Torrington, Trumbull, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, Winchester, Wolcott, Woodbridge, Woodbury. This study will be combined with the Saugatuck River watershed and Farmington River Litchfield County watershed projects. Revised preliminary maps are scheduled for release on November 3, 2026. Effective flood maps and studies are anticipated in early 2029.
Farmington River Watershed, Litchfield County - Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Harwinton, New Hartford, Norfolk, Plymouth, Torrington, Winchester. This study will be combined with the Saugatuck River watershed and Housatonic River watershed projects. Revised preliminary maps are scheduled for release on November 3, 2026. Effective flood maps and studies are anticipated in early 2029.
Lower Connecticut River Outlet Watershed, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven Counties – Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Chester, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hampton, East Hartford, East Windsor, Enfield, Essex, Farmington, Fenwick, Glastonbury, Guilford, Haddam, Hartford, Killingworth, Madison, Manchester, Marlborough, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, New Britain, Newington, North Branford, Old Saybrook, Plainville, Portland, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, South Windsor, Southington, Suffield, Wallingford, West Hartford, Westbrook, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks. Preliminary flood maps are scheduled to be issued on June 13, 2026.
Shetucket River, Thames River, Lower Connecticut River Outlet and Quinebaug River Watersheds, Tolland County - Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Ellington, Hebron, Mansfield, Somers, Stafford, Tolland, Union, Vernon, Willington. Preliminary flood maps are scheduled for release on April 8, 2026.
Shetucket River Watershed, Windham County - Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Eastford, Hampton, Scotland, Windham, Woodstock. Preliminary flood maps are scheduled for release on April 8, 2026.
Lower Connecticut River Outlet, Shetucket River and Thames River Watersheds, New London County - Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Groton (City & Town), Groton Long Point Association, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Montville, New London, Noank Fire District, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Preston, Salem, Sprague, Stonington (Town), Waterford. Preliminary flood maps are scheduled for release on April 8, 2026.
Virtual Elevation Certificate Workshop
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, a free, virtual elevation certificate (EC) workshop will be held covering the new 2023 EC form. The virtual workshop will run from 9:00am to 4:30pm and taught by Schwalls Consulting. Space is limited, with only 50 slots available. Registration is free with funding provided for the workshop from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Continuing education credits (CECs) are available for various professional groups (6 CECs - PE, PLS, BO/BI, AICP, CFM and 0.6 CEC - ICC). The flyer provides all the details and link to register. This workshop is in high demand. Please only register if you intend on attending for the entire day.
Expanding MyCoast Connecticut
The MyCoast Connecticut Pilot Program has been active in Groton, New London, and Stonington for over a year and has been a success. MyCoast is a tool for reporting coastal flooding events from storms and high tides through a publicly accessible database where community members can upload photos to share local impacts and help inform flood planning.
The MyCoast Connecticut project was implemented through a partnership with Connecticut Sea Grant, the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (CT NERR) and the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA).
The team is looking to expand this valuable tool statewide, and would like to hear from other interested inland and coastal communities. Please fill out the MyCoast Connecticut Interest Form if you would like to find out more about implementing this valuable tool in your community!
Want to learn more about the MyCoast Connecticut Pilot Project? Register for an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from 1:00-2:00pm. The webinar will highlight project activities from the past year, discuss how MyCoast photos can be used to inform flood planning, and next steps for continued MyCoast expansion and funding.
Training Opportunities
CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & WEBINARS
March 10-12, 2026: ResCon International, New Orleans, LA.
March 15-17, 2026: 2026 National Flood Association (NFA) Annual Conference, Scottsdale, AZ.
March 19, 2026: Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM) webinar - Advancing Hydrologic Risk Assessment Under Climate Change (Future Hydrology), 1:00-2:00pm, Gregory Stewart, USGS, free, 1 CEC CFMs, register here.
March 21, 2026: Connecticut Land Conservation Conference, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.
March 23-26, 2026: Verisk Insurance Conference 2026, Las Vegas, NV.
March 31, 2026: Sustainable & Resilient Communities 3rd Annual Connecticut Funding Workshop, Gateway Community College, 20 Church Street, New Haven (Curran Community Room N100), 10:00am-2:30pm, lunch provided.
April 23, 2026: Elevation Certificate (EC) Workshop, free, virtual, 9:00am-4:30pm, see flyer for more details.
April 27 - May 1, 2026: National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting, NCTC Shepherdstown, WV.
April 28-30, 2026: New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association (NYSFSMA) 2026 Annual Conference, Utica, NY.
May 2, 2026: Connecticut River Valley Environmental Summit 2026, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.
May 4-7, 2026: U.S. Society on Dams (USSD) 2026 Annual Conference, Austin, TX.
May 12-14, 2026: National Adaptation Forum, Pittsburgh, PA.
May 14, 2026: Rhode Island Flood Mitigation Association (RIFMA) 2026 Annual Conference, University of Rhode Island, South Kingstown, RI.
May 31- June 3, 2026. Flood, Fire, and Wind Conference, Dallas, TX.
May 31-June 4, 2026: Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
June 4-5, 2026: Long Island Sound Research Conference, Mystic, CT.
June 14-17, 2026; 51st Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop, Broomfield, CO.
August 30 - September 3, 2026: Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Annual Conference - Dam Safety 2026, Raleigh, NC.
ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS (ASFPM)
The ASFPM Training and Knowledge Center offers webinars and an online university as a professional development resource for floodplain management professionals.
- NFIP 101 Training Course - This on-demand nine unit course covers flood maps and studies, flood regulations, compliance, flood insurance, substantial improvement/substantial damage, and pre/post disaster floodplain management. The combined course duration for all nine units is approximately 14-17 hours to complete. There is a twenty question exam at the end of the course with unlimited retakes. The course can be completed at your own pace.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WETLANDS MANAGERS (NAWM)
'The NAWM posts past webinar recordings on its website. Register here for any upcoming webinars.
EPA SOAK UP THE RAIN WEBINARS & WATERSHED ACADEMY
Soak Up the Rain is a U.S. EPA stormwater public outreach and education program to raise awareness about the costly impacts of polluted stormwater runoff and encourage compliance with stormwater rules and requirements through nature-based solutions such as green infrastructure and low impact development. To view watch recordings of past webinars, visit their webinar archive. The U.S. EPA Watershed Academy offers training and resources on watershed management, including a new Hazard Mitigation Planning and Water Resource Management training module, intended for water quality and hazard mitigation professionals that are interested in integrating water quality issues and/or nature-based solutions into state or local Hazard Mitigation Plans.
NATURAL HAZARDS CENTER