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Catoosa County: Brown flood plain expert

By: Beverly Carroll
(Contact)

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Donald “Buster” Brown

As director of stormwater management for Catoosa County, Donald “Buster” Brown is charged with working to prevent, repair and reduce damage caused by flooding.

“My job is to make sure that development doesn’t change the flood plain to adversely affect somebody else’s property, or an entire community,” said Mr. Brown, 43. “If you want to build a (housing or commercial) development, that’s fine. First show me something, a plan or drawing that won’t impact something else.”

Mr. Brown, who was hired in December 2005, assumed responsibility for building inspections and zoning in 2007, and stormwater management earlier this year.

He recently earned a professional certification of flood plain management from the Association of State Floodplain Managers. According to the association’s Web page, the flood plain manager’s role has expanded over the years as disaster losses have grown. The certification stresses continuing education to improve the knowledge and abilities of floodplain managers to help reduce losses from flooding while protecting national resources.

Earning the certification has increased Mr. Brown’s understanding of flood plain management and how the regulations apply in his community, he said.

The county is revising and updating its flood plain maps, he said. With global information system technology it is possible to create maps that can accurately show details about an area, including flood plain elevations, Mr. Brown said. The preliminary maps can be viewed on the county’s Web site.

“With these flood plain maps that we are having someone go over right now, we can see exactly what the risk is of an area being flooded,” he said. “I want to encourage everybody to view these maps. I don’t want anybody to be surprised by finding their home is in a flood plain.”

The flood plain maps determine eligibility for federal flood insurance. With new technology the maps are more accurate and can let homeowners know if they need the insurance, Mr. Brown said.

Mr. Brown said the certification program was challenging.

“My (college) degree is in public administration, from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and I worked in manufacturing for 13 years before I came to the county,” he said. “The test was three hours, over 120 questions. It was a tough exam.”

Catoosa County Commissioner Bobby Winters, who heads the Publics Works Board, said he appreciates Mr. Brown’s efforts.

“He is a very smart young man and he’s been a real asset to the county in this field,” Mr. Winters said. “He has gone to that school and is he learning a lot. I feel like he’s asset to public works and the county as a whole.”

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