Benton County’s Senior Floodplain Administrator, Toby Lewis, received the Outstanding Individual in Floodplain Management award at the Northwest Regional Floodplain Management Association (NORFMA) conference in Vancouver, Wash., Sept. 19-22. The NORFMA includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia. Lewis was also recognized by the Benton County Board of Commissioners during a ceremony on Oct. 18 where Board Chair Nancy Wyse, and Commissioners Xan Augerot and Pat Malone recognized Lewis for her efforts.
“This is such an honor. I know how devastating floods can be and that is why I care so much about my work,” said Lewis.
During the summer of 2001, Lewis was an intern at Oregon State University. Upon graduating, she was hired as an assistant planner for Benton County after being recognized for her internship project to document the County’s floodplain regulations and submit an application for participation in the Community Rating System program. The Community Rating System is FEMA’s federal rating system for evaluating flood risks in a community or region.
Now, 21 years later, Lewis is still going strong with Benton County and has again been recognized for her competence and dedication to the important work she does. Lewis administers Benton County’s floodplain program to help decrease flood hazard risk to County residents and structures, improve communication regarding flood risks and natural beneficial floodplain functions, and provide flood data. As a result of Lewis’ work and the County’s efforts, county property owners have been receiving a discounted rate on their flood insurance premiums for the past 20 years.
“Toby came here 21 years ago and did a great job, now 21 years later she continues to do amazing work as an expert in her field and a mentor to others,” said Darren Nichols, Benton County Community Development director.
Michelle Gilbert, a senior planner with Atkins North America, the organization that coordinates NORFMA, said Lewis has extensive knowledge of floodplain management and consistently seeks to expand her understanding and achieve excellence in floodplain management for her community.
“Toby’s work is valuable not just to the County but to the broader floodplain profession in Oregon and across the Pacific Northwest. She is a foundational member of the Oregon floodplain management community who advocates for policies and tools that will support and help build strong local floodplain management programs in Oregon,” said Gilbert.
Benton County has approximately 57,000 acres of land located within its floodplains and nearly 3,200 individual parcels that are partially or entirely located within a floodplain.
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