FLOOD10248

• County: Statewide
• Community: Naitonwide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Introduction to Flood Proofing; An Outline of Principles and Methods
• Date: 4/1/1967
• Prepared By: The University of Chicago Center for Urban Studies
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

When is Flood. Proofing Appropriate?
The characteristics of flooding vary from flood. plain to flood plain and the type of
development on flood. plains is highly diverse. This variation makes it difficult to
select the flood damage reduction instruments best suited to a given flood plain situa-
tion unless a detailed analysis is undertaken. The appropriateness of flood proofing in
any given region depends upon the stage of flooding, the velocity of flow, the duration of
the flood period, the uses being made of the flood plain, and the relationship of flood
proofing to other flood damage reduction measures.
A flood proofing program would normally warrant serious consideration as a means
of flood damage reduction in the following circumstances:
Where studies have concluded that it is not economically feasible to pro-
vide flood control structures, flood proofing could provide a substitute
means 01 reducing flood losses.

Where authorized flood control projects have not been constructed because
of lack of local cooperation, flood proofing could provide property owners
with an opportunity to reduce their flood risk.

Where utilities, manufacturing plants, and navigation terminals require
riverfront locations to function effectively, flood proofing could provide
the owners of these facilities an opportunity to achieve a degree of flood
damage reduction. The highest practicable level of protection should be
afforded to assure continuation of utilities.

Wher~e flood proofing and flood insurance are closely allied, a property
owner could elect to flood proof to reduce his flood risk in order to ob-
tain more favorable flood insurance rates.

Where flood control projects have provided only partial flood protection,
flood proofing could. enable property owners to achieve a higher degree
of protection than would otherwise be provided.
In actual cases where buildings have been flood proofed in accordance with plans
developed with professional engineering and architectural assistance, flood proofing has
performed satisfactorily and has mitigated flood losses. A number of examples will be
cited in later chapters.
Flood Proofing and Flood Control
Flood control measures, such as reservoirs, levees, channel improvements, and
watershed treatment, seek to keep flood water within established channel banks or floOO-
way limits. Flood proofing seeks to reduce damage once the water reaches a building.
Although in most instances the benefits of flood control will exceed the costs, there are
many communities where flood control measures are not economically justified. In such
communities, the flood proofing of individual structures could result in a substantial re-
duction in flood losses.
In other communities, where flood control projects are economically justified, as
many as 20 years have elapsed between authorization and actual construction of an ap-
proved project. In such situations, flood proofing could be undertaken as an interim
flood damage reduction measure for selected buildings, and either discontinued with the
construction of the flood control project or used in some cases t9 attain an additional
degree of protection than that provided by the flood control project.
Flood Proofing and Flood Plain ReWllations
To help bring about the economic use of flood plains, states, counties and munici-
palities frequently adopt comprehensive flood plain regulations. These regulations may
be incorporated in building codes, subdivision regulations, or zoning ordinances. Since
the emphasis is on promoting proper use, rather than on prohibiting use, flood proofing
can be a useful element in flood plain regulations.
When studies show parts of a flood plain to be potentially suited for more intensive

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