![]() Inaccurate and outdated flood maps are a significant problem, especially as FEMA provides flood maps for 22,000 communities across the United States. For example, many areas that flooded when Sandy struck in 2012 had maps that were last updated in 1983. Numerous communities have not had a map update in more than 30 years. According to a September 2017 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, FEMA is unable to “provide members of the public with a reliable rendering of their true flood vulnerability or ensure that NFIP rates reflect the real risk of flooding.” Almost 2/3 rds of FEMA’s flood maps have not been updated in the last 5 years. FEMA’s Flood Map Program Needs ReformįEMA’s flood mapping program is falling short in protecting people and property from flooding. Instead, FEMA’s flood maps look backwards in time and determine the size of the 100-year and 500-year floodplain based on past events. However, FEMA’s flood maps do not currently depict future conditions. For example, as sea level rise, storm surge can reach further inland and affect a greater number of properties during a hurricane. Climate change is loading the dice in favor of more frequent and severe floods. Flood risks change over time due to a variety of factors, like changing land use patterns.Ĭlimate change impacts, like rising sea levels and more intense rain storms, also influence flood risk. If a map is not assessed within the five-year window, the level of flood risk is considered “unknown.” FEMA must reassess flood maps regularly because flood risks are not static. Therefore, FEMA’s flood maps must be accurate and up-to-date, otherwise, communities will be misinformed about their true flood exposure.įEMA is required to update flood maps every five years. 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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