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Canon City Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan 8/25/93 Flood Insurance In 1968 the U,S. congress established the Na- tional Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP is designed to benefit beth individualf; and the communities in which they live, It enables all property owners to purchase flood insurance at reasonable rates, and it requires communities to adopt and administer local flood plain management measures aimed at protecting lives and new construction from future flooding. Through this mechanism, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and participating communities are able to reduce future flood losses. The adop- tion and enforcement of flood plain regula- tions, however, is not only a prerequisite for entering the program, it is also a condition for staying in the NFIP, Communities have been suspended from the regular program in the State of Colorado for not enforcing adopted flood plain ordinances. Canon City has only 29 flood insurance poli- cies, yet many more buildings are located in the designated 100 year flood plain. Also, many homes that had flood damage in the recent event were not located in the FEMA- specified 100 year flood plain. It is not likely that the area will be re-mapped by FEMA any time soon, therefore, any new flood protection measures must be taken by the community and the individual citizens. Recommendations for Increasing Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program for Canon City Ii . Detennine which buildings are located in the FEMA-specified 100 year flood plain. . Contact building owners in the FEMA-speci- fied 100 year flood plain through the mail, personal visits or telephone calls. Educate citizens on the benefits of flood insurance. Encourage them to buy flood insurance within six months. Infonn them that a follow up check will be made in six months. . After six months, infonn all lending institu- tions of non-flood insured buildings located in the 100 year flood plain. . Map the boundaries of the recent flood and enact Canon City regulations requiring flood insurance within that area. . Implement a mass flood awareness campaign aimed at all Canon City residents on the benefits offlood insurance. Flood plain management Wise land-use and public acquisition of flood hazard property are often the most cost-effec- tive means of flood hazard mitigation. Effec- tive land use, for example, can provide very high net benefits and can significantly lower future catastrophic flood loss potential. When carefully planned and implemented, land use decisions can generate enormous savings in life and property over relatively few years. Continued participation in the NFIP by Canon City mandates the regulation of the construction of new structures, significantim- provement to homes, and the reconstruction of damaged structures in the 100-yr flood plain. If a structure already located in the 100-year flood plain is damaged for .lI.Il.Y reason (fire or flood) and requires repairs valuing more than 50% of market value, it will have to be proven conclusively that there will be llll increase in flood levels due to the improvement. Without such proof, repairs to the property are prohib- ited and alternative solutions will have to be sought, 13