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<br />The principal conclusions from this analysis are that the relative differences between <br />expected annual damage computed using different depth-damage data decreases significantly <br />when the event at the first floor goes to 25 year and beyond, and that annual damage is <br />particularly sensitive to the assumed distribution of damage below the first floor. Because <br />damage occurring below the first floor is weighted with a higher frequency of occurrence than <br />damage above the first floor, the total expected annual damage is particularly sensitive to <br />assumptions made about the distribution of damage and the physical feasibility of damage <br />actually occurring below the first floor. <br /> <br />Sensitivity to Management Adjustments <br />Five flood plain management adjustments were simulated and damage reduced computed. <br />These adjustments were: raising a structure three feet and five feet; protecting a structure to <br />three feet and five feet above the first floor; and removing both structure and contents from the <br />flood hazard area. Damage reduced by each adjustment is presented graphically and in tabular <br />form in the Figures and Tables which follow. Table A-3 is an index to these data. <br /> <br />Damage reduced data follow the same trend as total damage data with respect to location in <br />the flood plain. The damage reduced is greatest where the 2 year event is at the first floor and <br />the reduction decreases rather sharply from the 2 year event to the 15 year event. 8eyond the 15 <br />year event damage reduced decreases with less frequent events, however the reduction is <br />significantly less. These trends exist for all types of adjustments. The influence of flood hazard <br />factor varies depending upon the adjustment, type structure, and location in the flood plain. <br /> <br />The amount of damage reduction achieved by the different adjustments varied depending <br />upon the type of adjustment, type of structure, flood hazard factor and event at the first floor. <br />Removing both structure and contents from the flood plain reduced damage 100 percent. Data <br />plotted in Figures A-39 through A-42 and tabulated in Table A-8 are the total damage for the <br />type struCture, flood hazard factor, and event at the first floor indicated. The damage reduction <br />for raising or prqtecting a structure 5 feet varies from 80 to 100 percent for flood hazard factors <br />less than or equal to 4.0 feet. This is true for all type structures and for the full range of events at <br />the first floor. Generally, as the event at the first floor becomes less frequent the percent <br />reduction increases. When the flood hazard factor is greater than 4.0 feet (4.0 to 20.0) the <br />percent reduction decreases from a minimum of 80 percent to a minimum of 22 percent. A 3 <br />foot adjustment (raising or protecting) reduces damage 59 to 100 percent for flood hazard <br />factors less than or equal to 4.0 feet and a minimum of 11 percent for flood hazard factors <br />greater than 4.0 feet. Once again the specific amount of reduction depends upon type structure, <br />flood hazard factor, and location in the flood plain. <br /> <br />Removal of structure and contents is, of course, the most effective of the five adjustments for <br />reducing damage. Since it was assumed that damage with the structure and contents removed is <br />zero, the damage reduced (without - with) is equivalent to total damage (without condition). <br />Next comes raising or protecting a structure 3 feet. Raising reduces damage the most for one <br />and two story structures without basements. The reduction may be the same for low flood <br />hazard factors, but as the flood hazard factor increases raising becomes more effective. The <br />principal reason is that when the elevation raised is exceeded damage increases gradually, <br />whereas, when protection is exceeded damage jumps from zero to a significant amount because <br />immediate inundation to the protection level is assumed. Protection is the most effective <br /> <br />A-11 <br />