![]() As such, flood maps are used by government officials, developers, and planners to decide where it is safe to build. FEMA’s minimum floodplain building and land use requirements only apply in areas that are mapped to the 100-year flood level. 2% annual chance flood (500-year), and provide mapped communities with knowledge about their flood vulnerability. The flood maps depict the 1% annual chance flood (100-year flood) and the. The program requires all three legs – insurance, mapping, and building and land use regulations – to function.įEMA’s floodplain maps are a fundamental element of the flood insurance program, providing a basis for flood insurance rates and floodplain management regulations. The program provides more than cheap insurance, but also serves to promote sustainable floodplain development and flood risk identification. FEMA’s Flood Mapping ProgramĬongress enacted the NFIP to better protect the United States from flooding by providing a unified national program for floodplain management. Floodplain mapping reform must be a priority, and part of a comprehensive effort to reform the NFIP. Congress should direct FEMA to include future conditions assessments as an information layer on all flood maps and to ensure that the process of creating and adopting flood maps receives proper oversight. Inaccurate and out-of-date flood maps put communities at risk.Ĭurrently, Congress is set to reform and reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) by December 8 th. However, a recent investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General revealed that 58% of all FEMA flood maps are considered inaccurate or out-of-date. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for mapping the nation’s hazardous flood areas, including coastal areas susceptible to storm surge. The recent hurricanes, which inflicted severe damage from Puerto Rico to Texas’ Gulf Coast, have underscored the value of not only ensuring flood maps are accurate and up-to-date, but also that future conditions, like changing rainfall patterns, are accounted for in the depiction of flood risk. ![]()
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