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<br />B-I0 <br /> <br /> <br />On their own initiative or at the urging of the states, several hundred communities <br /> <br /> <br />have adopted special hazard regulations for alluvial fan, mudflood, coastal erosion and <br /> <br />other risk areas. Regulations arc usually part of broader zoning, subdivision controls or <br /> <br /> <br />building codes. Strengthened regulatory approaches for high risk areas may include: <br /> <br />1) Absolute prohibition of development in areas of high risk, where development <br /> <br /> <br />will substantially increase flood heights or erosion on other lands or where engi- <br /> <br />neering solutions are impractical. Interim prohibitions or moratoria that stop recon- <br /> <br /> <br />struction are especially appropriate after a disaster. <br /> <br />2) Added elevation requirements through freeboard or increased base elevations to <br /> <br /> <br />reflect the additional risk (e.g., wave heights, ice jams). <br /> <br /> <br />3) Strengthened performance standards to reflect not only water depth but also <br /> <br /> <br />velocity, debris and other risk factors. Applicants for building permits or <br /> <br /> <br />subdivision plat approval can be required to undertake hydrologic and geologic <br /> <br />investigations to specifically determine the hazards at sites and then to design the <br /> <br /> <br />proposed structure consistent with the hazards. <br /> <br />Step Six: Implement and Enforce Plans and Regulations <br /> <br /> <br />Adoption is only the first step in implementing plans and regulations, Formulation <br /> <br /> <br />of plans and regulations is primarily a technical effort; the implcmentation and enforce- <br /> <br /> <br />ment which must follow is in part an educational process, Administrators, elected offi- <br /> <br /> <br />cials, interest group leaders and the general public must be informed of the content of <br /> <br /> <br />plans and regulations and how they will work. Their support is essential to long-term <br /> <br /> <br />success. <br /> <br />Step Seven: Incorporating Nonregulatory Approaches <br /> <br />Plans and regulations alone cannot remedy threats to existing structures. A combi- <br /> <br />nation of education, public acquisition, financial incentives, warning and evacuation sys- <br /> <br /> <br />tems, technical assistance and engineering measures is often appropriate to reduce damage <br /> <br />from high risk flooding. The appropriate combination will depend upon your community's <br /> <br /> <br />needs, problems, levels of funding, amount of existing development and other factors. <br /> <br /> <br />Use of the recommended sources of information presented in Table 2 will aid in <br /> <br /> <br />the execution of your flood risk reduction program, <br />