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<br />community. These regulations provide an effective means of con- <br /> <br /> <br />trolling construction and preserving floodways in presently undevel- <br /> <br /> <br />oped flood plain areas. <br /> <br />Building Codes <br /> <br /> <br />A well-written and properly enforced building code can <br /> <br /> <br />effectively reduce damages to buildings in the flood plain during <br /> <br /> <br />flood periods. A few of the requirements which should be specified <br /> <br /> <br />in a building code to reduce flood damages are: prevent flotation <br /> <br /> <br />of buildings from their foundations by requiring proper anchorage, <br /> <br /> <br />establish basement elevations and minimum first flood elevations con- <br /> <br /> <br />sistent with potential floods; require structural strength to with- <br /> <br /> <br />stand water pressure or high velocity of flowing water, restrict the <br /> <br /> <br />use of materials which deteriorate rapidly when exposed to water; pro- <br /> <br /> <br />hibit equipment that might be hazardous to life when submerged, such <br /> <br /> <br />as a chemical storage, boilers or electrical equipment. <br /> <br />Development Policies <br /> <br />While all regulatory controls are valuable tools in <br /> <br /> <br />comprehensive flood damage prevention planning, probably the most <br /> <br /> <br />effective tool is in the area of development policies. "Flood con- <br /> <br /> <br />scious" governmental policies that limit the extension of public roads, <br /> <br /> <br />utilities and other services into flood prone areas can play an impor- <br /> <br /> <br />tant indirect role in shaping overall development. By locating public <br /> <br /> <br />facilities away from flood prone areas, a soft-sell negative influence <br /> <br /> <br />is projected which encourages the occupancy of higher and safer ground. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Flood Proofing <br /> <br /> <br />Flood proofing is a combination of structural changes and <br /> <br /> <br />adjustments to properties subject to flooding primarily for the reduc- <br /> <br /> <br />tion or elimination of flood damages. Although it is easier and more <br /> <br /> <br />economically applied to new construction, flood proofing is also appli- <br /> <br />cable to existing facilities. An example of a flood-proofed building <br /> <br /> <br />is depicted on the following page. <br /> <br />App. 4 <br />26 <br />