StormSmart Connect

On Wednesday, January 25th from noon to 1:30 PM (EST), officials from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, and the Town of Hull, Massachusetts will host the second in a series of brown bag webinars focused on Using Freeboard to Increase Protection from Coastal Storms. Freeboard, the additional elevation of a building above the minimum required base flood elevation, is a very effective mechanism for building resilience to the effects of severe storms. This webinar will examine why there is an increasing need for freeboard, both under current and future conditions; how to use incentives and/or regulation to encourage or require the application of freeboard in construction; and what obstacles communities have encountered to elevating homes above the FEMA minimum requirement. Janet Freedman, Coastal Geologist for the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Jon Lockman, Planning Director of Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, Anne Herbst, the Conservation Administrator for the Town of Hull, Massachusetts, and Jim Boyd, Coastal Policy Analyst for the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council will lead the discussion on the process of adopting freeboard standards above the minimum federal requirements in RI, ME and MA.

The webinar series has been developed by members of the StormSmart New England Group and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council to share coastal hazards resilience information and tools available to state and local officials. Each webinar will feature presentations from regional experts, focused discussion, and online networking. The webinar series complements the “before,” “during,” and “after the storm” themes used to organize the coastal hazards resilience resources available on the StormSmart Coasts Network.

Instructions for Joining the Webinar
1. Call in by telephone for audio:
□ Conference Line: 1‐877‐680‐1673 □ Passcode: 1993954
2. Log in online for visuals:
□ Go to http://www.mymeetings.com
□ Enter Meeting Number: 744921075 and Passcode: 4927573
□ Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy
□ Click on “Proceed”
□ Or use the direct link:

http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=744921075&p=4927573&t=c