Wilson County, TN

Streamlining Floodplain Management and Increasing Resilience in Wilson County

In the heart of Tennessee, Wilson County is surrounded by streams and rivers, where the growing threat of flooding has become a pressing concern. Flooding can happen quickly, as we saw in the fall of 2024 with Hurricane Helene. Seeking solutions to improve its resilience and alleviate insurance costs for residents, Wilson County discovered Forerunner as an innovative platform to streamline floodplain management operations.

Outdated Systems Highlight the Need for Change

When first meeting with Forerunner, Wilson County Planner, Christopher Lawless, expressed an interest in digitizing and centralizing all of the County’s maps to gain a clearer, more accurate understanding of its flood risk. He had been unable to access their blue-line stream from other providers. To tackle this problem, Forerunner collected and integrated their custom blue-line stream into the platform, then layered in their other maps – ensuring their dashboard reflected the most current and comprehensive information. This new level of data access allowed the County to enhance its understanding of local flood risks - with the added benefit of earning additional points in the Community Rating System (CRS) program.

Document Management Simplifies Compliance

Document management was another significant challenge for the County. They needed a system to review and store critical documentation such as lot plans, floodplain permits, development affidavits, and flood zone determinations. Additionally, they recognized the need for a more streamlined inspection process and better communication with the public about flood risks and regulations.

Forerunner addressed these challenges by providing a centralized platform for document storage and permitting workflows, and tools for public communication. Christopher collaborated with Forerunner to digitize key documents—such as Pad Elevation Certifications and Mid-Way Certificates—and store them in the system. He also worked with Forerunner to set up a property-level tracking system for managing floodplain permits and development affidavits. This system automatically generates flood zone determination letters for buyers in flood zones, promoting transparency and accountability.

Recently, Forerunner integrated Wilson County’s custom parcel data into its account, further enhancing property management capabilities. These improvements in document management have streamlined internal workflows, fostered clearer communication between officials and residents, and bolstered the County’s compliance and resiliency efforts, particularly within the Community Rating System (CRS).

Increasing Resilience through the Community Rating System

Through its collaboration with Forerunner, Wilson County significantly improved its floodplain management across various categories in the CRS. Furthermore, by automating workflows and centralizing data and documents in the platform, the County has saved significant time and effort required for the activities. Prior to Forerunner, they were able to advance from a Class 9 to a Class 8, reducing flood insurance premiums for residents and reflecting the team’s dedication to resilience. The County is excited to use Forerunner to streamline its CRS involvement and prevent future retrogrades.

Christopher has emphasized the importance of innovation and advancement in floodplain management. His advocacy, combined with Tennessee’s broader focus on resilience and floodplain management, has propelled these digitization and efficiency initiatives forward.

Looking Ahead

Wilson County plans to launch and expand its Forerunner use cases to further improve its floodplain management workflows. One tool they plan to utilize is Forerunner’s mobile app, enabling the field team to collect crucial information during inspections and record it in one central place. County leaders will also launch a public flood website to provide residents with access to property-level flood risk details that help inform important choices and enable them to easily find important information without needing extra assistance.

By collaborating with Forerunner, Wilson County has established a strong foundation for continued CRS progress and long-term flood resilience. We look forward to continuing to partner with them in the future.