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<br />individual, provisions for speedy <br />cleanup and resumption of commerce in <br />the community, and effective use of <br />various types of federal disaster aid. <br /> <br />An individual's flood losses may <br />be partly offset if local government <br />allows them as a credit or deduction <br />against local taxes, in effect transfer- <br />ing a portion of the losses to the <br />public. This type of relief is most <br />applicable in developed areas where <br />past losses have eroded the property <br />owners' capability to cope with the <br />cost of repairs and rehabilitation. <br />However, it does not provide any protec- <br />tion against future flood damages. In <br />fact, the knowledge that flood losses <br />will be partly compensated through tax <br />adjustments may encourage continued <br />floodplain occupancy and possibly even <br />greater floodplain development. <br /> <br />Losses caused by disruptions and <br />interruptions to businesses, industry, <br />utilities and transportation facilities <br />can be reduced if these activities are <br />quickly returned to normal operation <br />after a flood. This requires advance <br />planning for debris clearance, pumping <br />of basements, and restoration of utili- <br />ties and other community services. This <br />planning can be included in flood pre- <br />paredness plans. <br /> <br />Many federal and state programs <br />are available to help communi ties and <br />individuals recover after flood <br />disasters. State and federal aid is <br />usually available only after a flood <br />has been declared a disaster by the <br />governor of the state or the President. <br />Since disaster declarations are made on <br />the basis of information about the type <br />and extent of damages, communities <br />should have plans ready for collecting <br />the needed information "hen floods <br />occur, L;p to date inf orma tion on the <br />requirements and benefits of available <br />assistance programs should be main- <br />tained by community officials for use <br />by local authorities and the public. <br /> <br />Simply returning a community to <br />its pre-flood condition reestablishes <br />the ori ginal ri sk of fl ooding. In many <br />cases, opportunl tics arise after floods <br />to ellmlnate unsuitable developments <br /> <br />which have been damaged or to reb"ild <br />essential structures in a way that ,'ill <br />minimize future flood losses. Federal <br />technical assistance is available for <br />planning to take advantage of :mch <br />opportunities. <br /> <br />Natural Values <br />of Floodplains <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Two principal management strate-- <br />gies can be used for preserving, or <br />restoring the na tural values of <br />coastal, lake and river floodpldns. <br />One deals with preserving the desirable <br />existing attributes of the floodplain <br />and the other with restoring desirable <br />attributes when they have been lo~:t or <br />degraded. Table 2 lists the principal <br />measures which can be used. Most flood- <br />plains have been affected to some <br />extent by man's activities, so comoina- <br />tions of the two strategies are usually <br />needed in managing a particular area. <br /> <br />TABLE 2 <br />STRATEGIES AND MEASURES <br />FOR PROTECTING <br />NATURAL FLOODPLAIN VALUES <br /> <br />Preserve Existing Values <br />floodplain regulations <br />development and redevelop-, <br />ment <br />tax adjustments <br /> <br />Restore Diminished Values <br />relocate or remove existing <br />developments <br />minimize impact of develo.J- <br />ments <br />accelerate recovery from <br />impacts <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Preserving Existing ValUIBS <br /> <br />Where floodplains have not been <br />developed to any appreciable extent, a <br />special effort is warranted to prot,ect <br />their natural values. The m'~asures <br />available for this purpose are :;ome of <br />the same ones described in the previous <br />