The Association of State Floodplain Managers recently presented the City of Arlington with the Media/Outreach Award at their annual conference in Connecticut. The award acknowledges exemplary efforts on the part of communications media or public entities to increase awareness about flood issues with the general public. The City's Public Works & Transportation Department's Stormwater Management division was recognized for its annual flood safety awareness campaign and innovative flood risk novella, "Sink or Swim.' The City's efforts were also highlighted on FEMA's blog during National Flood Awareness Week earlier this year.

The City's novella has generated substantial interest in local flood agencies across the country as a creative medium for bringing awareness of the risks posed by flooding to audiences not typically targeted or impacted by traditional outreach materials. The City's Office of Emergency Management assisted in the content production for this unique novella.

Previous recipients of this award include The Weather Channel, Public Broadcasting System (PBS), Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Saint Louis Post Dispatch newspaper. The award was introduced in 1998 and the City of Arlington is the first government agency to receive this award.

The Stormwater Management division also won the 2013 Celebrating Leadership in Development Excellence (CLIDE) Award for the success of the novella. This award, sponsored by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), has now been awarded to the City of Arlington twice.

"It's an honor to have our efforts recognized nationally and locally,' said Civil Engineer Audra Valamides. "We wanted to reach out to people who might pick up a brochure and then throw it away without ever really seeing it and to those that are young or just young at heart who could learn something while still being entertained.'