FLOOD07385 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

{::/:::::::::}:::::~:~:;::::::: ;::::;?>:<;:;::::i;:::::::~\ }:::>::~:>::::}::::}?:: :})iti!}/iIIf[::/ II ..................... .-......... ::::~::::::.-:.:..:.:...... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.:-:........ . This manual is designed for local floodplain administrators who must comply with state law and the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), It describes items a community should con- sider when implementing a floodplain management program and offers suggestions for administering local floodplain regulations, A. Floods and Floodplain Zoning While there always have been and always will be floods, there were few flood probiems until people began occupying floodplains, Yearly flood damages across the nation have steadily increased as develop- ment has continued to encroach on floodplains, This has occurred in spite of billions of dollars spent on structural measures to try to "con- trol" floods, Fioods are natural occurrences, Ancient civilizations learned to live with, and even depend upon the river's yearly spring flooding to enrich the floodplain, Modern civilization has converted the use of many flood- plains from agriculture and open space to residential, industrial, and commercial uses, As more people settle on the floodplain, we build dams, channels and levees to protect people and their property from flood hazards, But these structures are costly and not always effective, Recent management efforts have sought to control development and construction within floodplains rather than to control the river, Zoning and other nonstructural techniques have become the favored and most cost effective measures to prevent flood damages, Many persons argue for their right to live wherever they please - including floodplains and other hazardous locations, They argue that they build on fioodplains at their own risk, But once settled, these peo- ple demand residential amenities - roads, sewers, utilities, and emer, gency services, After they experience a flood, they turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers or other Federal or State agencies for protective dikes, levees and dams, It's not only individuals who pay for these services and structures, but the general public, Taxpayers share the costs of: . flood control projects, . rescue, relief, and emergency preparedness, . repairs to streets, bridges and utilities and . Federal loans and grants to rebuild flood damaged structures, In addition, local communities bear costs for: . income lost during business interruptions, . their non-Federal share of disaster relief, . loss of tax base from flood blight areas and . money shunted to flood rehabilitation rather than invested in new economic development.