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households and $390 billion in property. Florida was the state with the highest composite risk, followed by California, Texas, Louisiana, and New Jersey. This large-scale development and modification of riverine and coastal floodplains has resulted in a major increase in the land area of the United States that may be economically developed and used, but at a high price extracted annually in deaths, personal injury and suffering, economic loss, and damage to or destruction of natural and cultural resources_ There are t\""O main kinds of floodplain losses: loss of life and property, and loss of natural and cultural resources. Both types continue to occur even with increased aware- ness of the value of floodplains and of the risks of floodplain occupancy. The actual and relative amounts of these losses are not \vell quantified. It hos been nlimatM lho.t 3.5 10 5.5 millio'l acres if floodplain kmd had been dnAoped jor urban use b)' flu fait 1970s. 171 ma,!>' caSfJ, this change has resuiJed in great/;' alwred ril'er corridor, and adjacrnt lands Channd 77Wd!fualion, Sioux Cil)', Iowa. Average Annual Flood Damages for Five-Year Periods in the U.S., 1916-85 5500 , 5000- 4500 4000 - l!! .!!! 3500 '0 0 3000 - 0 Ul " 2500 l: III Ul 2000 ::l 0 .c: I- 1500 - 1000 500 Damages . Damages (1985 $) ~ Damages/200 million population (1985 $) / / / / ;,- / / J~, JIll I 80 85 , ",~j~f' 1920 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 Last Year of Five-Year Period 75 Sou.rce' NatiOOill ''''eat her Sen.-ice Although there is no uniform meamrr of flood lossts, floodJ'ng dear/;' consli/ule:, tlu mosl pervasive and COSI0-' hazard facing the lUltion. From 1965 to 1989, total as- sistaru:e pa)'TlU'nts for Prrsidrnlw.ll)' declared disasters amountM w al77Wst $68 billion. OJ that, $5.2 blHirm was alwuwd Jor flood- and hurri!:alU~rrfaled damage. Flooding, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, 1975. - 17