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Participation In The National Flood Insurance Program Over the last decade, the most often recommended action was to expand community participation in the NFIP, and it remained the team's priority in 1999. Over the years, individual property owners have experienced greater flooding and could not purchase flood insurance because their community was not participating in the NFIP. Extensive efforts have been made to encourage community participation in the NFIP: . The state has expanded legislation to encourage community participation in the NFIP; . Nearly a dozen communities have been encouraged to enroll by including points for NFIP participation in the HMGP project selection process; . FEMA has conducted extensive training of insurance agents, aired television commercial announcements about the program and informed residents and community officials about the benefits of the program. Despite these efforts, several counties have not enrolled in the program. Some counties do not have chronic flood problems and believe enrollment is unnecessary. Team members suggested that the importance of NFIP enrollment might become more obvious during non-disaster years, when no other source of assistance but flood insurance is available to property owners. The team agreed that the impetus for county enrollment in the NFIP has to come from property owners themselves and suggested residents be informed about the consequences of their county's choice not to participate. Recommended Action: Encourage community participation in the NIFP. Lead Agency (ies): North Dakota State Water Commission, in coordination with the North Dakota Division of Emergency Management, will orchestrate this effort annually. Implementation Strategy: Every year, OEM conducts a series of hazard awareness campaigns. These campaigns focus on flooding, winter storms and tornadoes. In the future, information presented relative to flooding will encourage property owners to purchase flood insurance and inform them of their inability to do so if their county is not a participant in the NFIP. Secondly, the SWC will contact the utility companies serving the non-NFIP participating communities about including an informational brochure or public service announcement about flood insurance with monthly billings. Public announcements, bulletins and flyers will be developed by the SWC with assistance from OEM. Funding: Existing budgets. Time line for implementation: Immediate until all counties participate in NFIP. 16