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Mitigation Strategy Report FEMA-1134-DR-NC State of North Carolina Division of Emergency Management Starting in January, 1997, NFIP workshops will be conducted. Workshops should prove useful for local governments that participate in the NFIP and have questions about administering the Program. Any community that does not participate is strongly encouraged to allend the workshops in order to gain a better understanding of the Program. . Standardization of Substantial Damage Calculations Local officials, FEMA, and EM personnel reported that many structures were substantially damaged. When the repair cost to a structure in SFHAs is determined to be at ieast 50% of its fair market value, as evaluated by the local building official, it is declared substantially damaged under NFIP regulations. Damages caused from any hazard, not just flooding, are included in the 50% damage determination. The repairs to those structures located in SFHAs then must include bringing the structure up to the flood ordinance standards required for new construction. With the advent of a mitigation insurance rider on existing NFIP insurance policies, costs associated with repairing to current code will not have to be borne by the homeowner. FEMA technical assistance teams are working with local communities to provide support. A significant part of this assistance is linked to the development of a value assessment/damage estimation tool to aid in substantial damage determinations. This tool is based on the Marshall & Swift Residential Estimator Program which allows repair estimates to be created from building specifications and general descriptions. Estimates can be adjusted to comply with both NFIP and CAMA substantial damage standards. Building inspectors can estimate the damages to over 30 construction elements (I.e., the roof) thereby creating a more detailed estimate. The findings can be compared to estimates submitted by contractors in order to determine the accuracy of contractor estimates. In turn, this provides an effective means to monitor possible price gouging by unscrupulous contractors. The use of the Marshall and Swift Residential Estimator Program should be incorporated into the State's early recovery efforts following all natural disasters when requested by local building inspectors. . Updating Flood Insurance Rate Maps Accurate flood maps are essential to determine flood risks and regulate construction in SFHAs. However, flood map inaccuracies exist in both coastal and riverine areas. Coastal erosion has increased the differences between the existing topography of the coastal area and that which is depicted on the FIRMs. Land in Coastal Velocity Zones (V-Zones) (i.e., areas subject to storm surge impacts) has severely eroded in many cases since the FIRMs were issued. Properties indicated as A-Zones or C-Zones (I.e. areas subject to flooding not caused by storm surge) may now front the Atlantic Ocean. The result of inaccurate FI RMs is that structures are not constructed or insured to appropriate standards. This situation presents a serious problem to community permit officials who realize the actual risk to structures in given locations, but feel bound by local flood ordinances that rely on existing FIRMs. In some communities facing the largest discrepancy between the current FIRM and the actual topography, expedited mapping has been initiated, Local flood ordinances should include a remapping provision stipulating the legal compliance with preliminary findings (prior to the mandatory compliance rule associated with amended FIRM). It is prudent to use the best available data while waiting for FEMA to provide amended FIRMs. Once FIRMs are officially amended, communities must adjust their flood ordinance accordingly to comply with the new, more accurate maps. The State, working with local governments, should identify additional communities with highly inaccurate FIRMs that received significant flooding during Hurricane Fran. The State should urge FEMA to prioritize these locations for re-mapping, Page 22