FLOOD09916 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

SCRIPT-TASK L. MITIGATING FLOOD HAZARDS (10 minutes to read the script) Slide Ll. Task L Mitigating Flood Hazards Task L explores how recovery can be made easier by reducing the potential for flood damage in advance of a flood and preparing for recovery tasks. FEMA sets aside an amount equal to 15% of disaster assistance funds for mitigfltion projects. To qualify for the funds, jurisdictions must have a mitigation plan. You will work out the key features of your mitigation plan in Task L. Slide L2. Ways to Mitigate Flood Losses What is mitigation? It basically means taking actions to reduce the long-term vulnerability to disaster losses. Flood hazard mitigation usually involves one or more of the "A" actions listed on the slide: A VERT the flood, ADAPT to the flood, AVOID the flood, and ANTICIP A IE the flood. Averting the flood includes all types of structural flood control; adapting to the flood hazard includes elevating and flood proofing buildings; avoiding the flood hazard means keeping vulnerable land uses out of areas prone to flooding; and anticipating the flood means preparing for emergency response, recovery and rebuilding after a flood. Slide L3. Flood insurance policy This shows a flood insurance policy issued under the National Flood Insurance Program. Normally, insurance is not considered mitigation. However, the NFIP has mitigation built in. Communities must join the program before property owners are eligible for insurance. To join, communities must adopt a floodplain management ordinance meeting specific minimum standards. However, the standards are minimums; nothing precludes a community from adopting more stringent requirements. In fact, the NFIP rewards property owners in cities that exceed the minimum standards with lower insurance premiums. Slide L4. Elevated houses in Snoqualmie, Washington For example, in the town of Snoqualmie in Washington State, 12 houses were repeatedly flooded. Damage did not reach 50% of pre-flood value of any of the houses. So, under the terms of its local floodplain management ordinance, the town did not require elevation. Finally, after a flood in 1987, the town amended its zoning code to require elevation of any of the 12 houses which received flood damage exceeding 10% of market value. Here you see a house in this district being elevated after the flood. The one behind it has not yet been elevated. Because the 10% standard was adopted as part of the town's zoning code, the cost of elevation was financed with SBA low-interest loans. Script-Task L