FLOOD06289

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Floodplain Management in the United States An Assessment Report Volume 1
• Date: 1/1/1992
• Prepared For: The Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force
• Prepared By: The Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, CU Boulder
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

THE SOUTH CAROLINA
BEACH FRONT MANAGEMENT ACT

The South Carolina Beadifrani ,\Janagenumt Act
fJtablishes a "no (onslru.cfum" zone beginning at tlu-
crest of the actual or theoretiral dwU' line and extend-
ing landW(jTJ 20 fiet or 40 times tlu> average annual
Tate if erosion, whichever is greater. The legiJlature
anticipated that the Act would result in the gradual
dimirwlion of structures built 100 close to the ocean
and hence subject to damage or destruction from
hurricanes and other coastal storms.

Development and Redevelopment Policies

Federal, state, and local governments all have established programs, pOliM
des, and directives to avoid inappropriate development and redevelopment of
the floodplain.
Federal policies relating to the design and location of services and utilities
(roads, bridges, and sewer lines, etc.) in floodprone areas include the National
Environmental Policy Act, Executive Order 11988, and the Coastal Barrier
Resources Act. All of these either restrict federal participation in development
in floodprone areas or require careful review of the impacts on the floodplain
of proposed federal or federally supported activities.
Several states have issued executive orders or other directives compar-
able to the federal ones, and every state now has a statute or executive order
to govern construction of state projects, such as prisons and universities, that
are exempt from local regulations. All coastal states have policies on develop-
ment in coastal flood hazard areas. Some states have more stringent flood loss
reduction standards for roads and bridges than those of the federal aid system.
In some cases, the only way to preclude future uses incompatible with
the flood risk is to permanently evacuate a portion of a floodplain and to
obtain full title or easements on its development rights. Although this process
(called "acquisition") is expensive, the long-term benefits in reduced flood-
plain losses, protection of natural resources, and public use of the land, may
make it worthwhile.
Most redevelopment relating to flood loss reduction occurs after one or
more major floods. Usually a control structure is built to protect what devel-
opment remains, and a temporary moratorium is imposed to allow evaluation
and planning. Unfortunately, legislative and regulatory requirements often
encourage a quick return to the pre flood status quo, '"\lasting opportunities
to mitigate and revitalize the area.

Disaster Preparedness

Disaster preparedness encompasses plans for mitigation, warning, and
emergency operations; training; public information activities; exercises to test
disaster preparedness plans; readiness evaluations; research; review and coor-
dination of disaster preparedness plans and programs; and postdisaster evalu-
ations. Individual preparedness is important but severely underutilized. Pre-
paredness plans often are developed in concert '"\lith flood forecast, warning,
and emergency plans. There are several federal programs for disaster pre-
paredness, and every state has an integrated emergency management plan
and an agency responsible for preparing for floods. Each Gulf and Atlantic

SOME FEDERAL PROGRAMS
FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

. Under the authority of Section 201(d) of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
provides up to 50% matching grants to help states develop and improve state and local plans for preparedness and
mitigation. Interagency flood hazard mitigation teams are formed after each Presidentially declared flood disaster to
,offer technical assistance to communities and states and to identify mitigation measures that may be implemented in
the affected areas.

. Under Section 409 of the Act, any jurisdiction receiving federal disaster assistance must prepare a hazard miriga~
tion plan within 180 days of the declaration; future federal assistance may be curtailed if such a plan is not filed.

. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Weather Serv-
ice have fonned a program of comprehensive hurricane e....acuation planning in association with Gulf and Atlantic states.
TheNWS develops the SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes) model for each coastal basin, and
FEMA funds the running of the models by the NWS's National Hurricane Center to predict storm directions, speeds,
and intensities. Evacuation plans are prepared from the studies. Their value was proved during Hurricane Hugain
1989, when hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated and loss of life was kept to a minimum.

. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides grants to states to conduct hazard mitigation projects.

. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires emergency action plans at its licensed projects and periodi~
cally holds in-depth exercises to test the plans and the licensee's coordination of responsibilities with the appropriate
state and local disaster agencies.

. The Soil Conservation Service has done flood audits of structures in the floodplain of the Yantic River in Norwich,
and the Quinnipiac River in Southington, Connecticut, to complement the response to flood warnings.

. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts technical evaluations to determine what types of warning systems and
preparedness plans are appropriate for certain areas.

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