FLOOD07643

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Physical and Economic Feasibility of Nonstructural Flood Plain Management Measures
• Date: 3/1/1978
• Prepared For: US
• Prepared By: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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use of protective type measures where appliances, utilities, equipment and goods can be raised
in-place and protected. This saves finding new locations on other floors, Where the hazard is
more severe and inundation is to greater depths, property will need to be relocated to prevent
damage. This requires finding another location within the same structure or in an adjacent
structure, if available, This may be easy or difficult depending upon specific site conditions,

Residual damage to both structure and contents will remain even when property is
rearranged or protected. Also, there is the associated cost and inconvenience of clean-up, For
these reasons protection of property seems to be given most serious ~onsideration when other
measures (including flood insurance) are either not physically or economically feasible, or the
depth of flooding is relatively shallow. If flooding is regarded with concern by the property
owner, partial protection although helpful, will probably not be satisfactory and a better means
will be sought. When a better means cannot be found, rearrangement or protection will
probably be used.

Costs
Costs to rearrange or protect damageable property depends upon the specific action taken.
Many items in or around a residential structure can be protected by raising in place for less than
$50 per item. Rearrangement is likely to be more expensive depending upon the alterations
required, but could probably be done for less than $100 for many items. If new appliances,
utilities, or equipment were being installed (perhaps to replace property damaged in a recent
flood) the cost to install it at a less flood-prone location would probably be small. In
commercial/industrial structures costs to move merchandise or equipment to another floor or
raise it off the floor are difficult to estimate, In one structure the cost may be high, in another
low,

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Economic Feasibility
When damageable property is rearranged or protected within a structure, damage is reduced
because the property is less susceptible to flooding. Usually this means it is higher, in which case
it is flooded less frequently. Because this measure deals principally with individual property
items, conven.tional depth-damage relationships are generally not applicable since they are
usually constructed for the entire structure or its contents. Rather than the conventional
approach (which would probably be used for expensive items) an assessment would probably
be made which considers the cost to relocate or protect, the damage caused by flooding, the
frequency of flooding, inconvenience, and the availability of alternative locations. In the case of
such items as fuel tanks, safety is an additional consideration. No attempt was made in this study
to quantify damage reduced, although it was generally felt that because of the wide range of
opportunities, savings in damage would exceed costs and the measure would be economically
feasible in many situations.

Advantages and Disadvantages
Table 6-1 below presents in summary form advantages and disadvantages of rearranging and
protecting damageable property in existing structures.

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