Floodplain Management
For decades, the national response to flood disasters
was generally limited to construction of flood-control works, such as
dams, levees and seawalls, and providing disaster relief to flood
victims. This approach did not reduce losses nor discourage unwise
development. To compound the problem, the public could not buy
flood coverage from insurance companies, and building techniques to
reduce damage were often overlooked.
In the face of mounting flood losses and
escalating costs of disaster relief to the general taxpayer, the U.S.
Congress created the National Food Insurance Program in 1968.
Their intent was to reduce future damage and to provide protection for
property owners from potential losses through an insurance mechanism
that allows a premium to be paid by those most in need of the
protection.
The program is administered by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency [FEMA]. FEMA produces Flood Insurance Rate Maps
[FIRM] that show areas subject to flooding. The flood risk
information presented on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps is based on
historic, meteorological, hydrologic, and hydraulic data, as well as
open-space conditions, flood-control works and development.
What is the 100-Year Flood Plain?
Special Flood Hazard Areas are areas subject to inundation by a
flood that has a 1% or greater chance of being equaled or exceeded
during any given year. This type of flood is commonly referred to
as the 100-Year or base flood. A 100-Year is not a flood that
occurs every 100 years. In fact, the 100-Year Flood as a 26%
chance of occurring during a 30-year period ... the length of many
mortgages. The 100-Year Flood is a regulatory standard used by
federal agencies, and most states, to administer flood plain management
programs. The 100-Year Flood Plain is used by the National Flood
Insurance Program as the basis for insurance requirements nationwide.
Flood Insurance Facts
Homeowners' insurance does not cover flood damage.
Federal flood insurance, purchased through your insurance agent or
directly by the National Flood Insurance Program, is the only guaranteed
flood insurance coverage available for your home.
FEMA disaster aid is only available during
Presidentially-declared disasters. Flood insurance policies pay
claims whether or not a disaster is declared.
More than 25% of the National Flood Insurance
Program's claims are for structures outside identified flood plains.
Floods can occur anywhere. People who face even moderate flood
risks should get insurance, which can be purchased for as little as
$80.00 per year.
"Floods are disruptive, costly and dangerous.
Recovering from a flood is a slow and painful process. That is why
it is up to each of us to prevent property damage and loss of life in
flood prone areas. You can learn simple, cost-effective ways to
avoid this kind of tragedy in the future. Also, every homeowner
who lives in a flood hazard area should have flood insurance. If
you do not have flood insurance you should contact your local insurance
agency or call toll-free 1-800-427-4661."
President William
Jefferson Clinton
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Recovery Times -- June 17, 1996