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Recent .Iation 24 vent flootL\ [he new empha."iis wa~ on the need to correct many of the imbalances that resulted from the conflicts bet~veen the natural Jnd the built environments and that had precipitated escalating losses. In 1965 Congress passed the first of a succession of laws updating federal flood policy The effect of this policy evolution was not to eliminate flood control ~l'\ a strategy; but to shift much of the emphasis of federal programs to nonstrucIural strategies. It also required greater involve- ment by local governments, put more attention on pro- tecting the natural environment, increased the attention given to coastal flooding, and redistributed some of the financial burden of flood losses from the general public to the individual users of flood-prone property Executive Orders Presidential Executive Orders concerning flooding were issued in 1967 and 1977 These interpret and reinforce the intent of the legislative acts as they Jre implemented by the appropriate executive agencies. . EO. 11296, issued in 1967, required evaluation of flood hazards in connection with any proposed acrion by a federal agency The order was supplanted in 1977 by EO.. 11988, Floodplain Managernent, which advocates protection of floodplains a"i natural phenomena and provides explicit support for nonstructural mea'iures wherever they are feasible. It is significant that the Executive Order 11988 applies to all federally funded construction and development, including that funded by Community Development Block Grants. The Executive Order actually calls for higher standards than the National Flood Insurance Act, thus putting federal agencies in a leadership position regarding floodplain management. . EO. 11990, Wetland" also issued in 1977, requires all agencies to act to rninimize the destruction, loss, or degradation of natural v/etland"i. Strategies for Flood Damage Reduction As mentioned above, the emphasis of federal flood policy has shifted from almost exclusive use of structural control mea"iures to equal consideration of nonstructural strate~ gies. Included in this new approach are a number of methods, each supporting and supplementing the others. It is now recognized that the various approaches must be combined to fit the unique circumstances of any given situation. Flood control is effective under some con- ditions, but cannot succeed alone. Water and land re- sources sbould be regulated to complement structural controls. Warning systems should be devised or refined. Individual buildings should be protected as necessary