ATLANTA -- As 2011 draws to a close, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages all Americans to understand the risks that surround them -- and for residents of the Upper Chattahoochee River Region, those risks include the possibility of flooding.

FEMA worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to create maps of the 107-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River between the Buford Dam and Coweta County, which includes Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton and Gwinnett counties.

These updated maps detail flood hazard and risk data with the ultimate goal of protecting homeowners from flooding.

Maps for those who live in the Chattahoochee flood region are available at www.georgiadfirm.com. Learn more about steps to prevent flood damage at www.ready.gov/floods.

ATLANTA -- The flow of water from a reservoir that serves much of Metro Atlanta will be restricted as a conservation step during an ongoing drought.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Wednesday that it will cut the flow of water from the dam at Lake Lanier from 750 cubic feet per second to 650 cubic feet per second. Army Corps spokesman Pat Robbins said the goal is to save water in case the drought gets worse.

If more water is available in Lake Lanier, more can be released later on to supplement river systems.

Georgia officials asked for the conservation step earlier this month.

Army officials said they evaluated information from Georgia authorities and determined that decreasing the flow of water into the Chattahoochee River will not harm the environment.

Gwinnett County - for the 2nd time the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center is holding a community gingerbread house competition.  The competition is open to families, schools, adults, and even professional bakers. There are different categories for each to keep the judging fair. Wouldn't you like to be a judge... More info is in the press release below:

Green Gingerbread Houses - is there such a thing? Who doesn’t love making adorable gingerbread houses with the family or looking at the intricate works of professional gingerbread house architects?

“Imagine building your dream house with all the sustainable features possible.