Flood expert visits UI, exchanges ideas for battling floods

A FEMA official was at the University of Iowa today sharing some techniques on how the state could be more resistant to flooding and flood damage.

John Dorman is the chair of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Technical Mapping Advisory Council. They're responsible for national flood mapping. Dorman says he also hopes to learn how Iowa has dealt with flooding, and how we can learn something from his officials. One example is being able to measure when flood waters will hit specific buildings.

"What we have done in North Carolina is we have gone to damage assessment from floods actually at the building level and to be able to do that I think would be of great value for Iowa," said Dorman.

Dorman praised Iowa's use of laser technologies to help map floodplains.