HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	216
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the City and County of Honolulu, the County of Hawaii, and Kauai County to provide an increase in information that will inform and enable homeowners to gain knowledge of the flood zone that homes are located in and the risks of flooding.

     WHEREAS, the new Flood Smart consumer campaign conducted by the National Flood Insurance Program seeks to educate homeowners on flood basics, flood risks, and the types of flood damage that homeowners insurance does not cover; and

     WHEREAS, the Flood Smart campaign website provides tools for assessing one's risk of flooding and estimating the costs of insurance premiums, and provides a listing of local insurance agents along with other related and pertinent information; and

     WHEREAS, prior to buying, building, or improving a structure in an area designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area, the purchase of flood insurance is required to receive financing from lending institutions that are federally regulated or insured; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a home located in a Special Flood Hazard Area has a twenty-six per cent chance of being flooded over a thirty-year period; and

     WHEREAS, according to FEMA, even if the homeowner lives in an area that is not considered flood-prone, it is still advisable for a homeowner to purchase flood insurance because twenty to twenty-five per cent of the claims received by the National Flood Insurance Program are from homeowners outside high flood risk areas; and

     WHEREAS, online tutorials are available for homeowners to gain knowledge from reading Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Studies (FIS) on FEMA's website and from seeing the actual FIRMs at each local county planning office; and

     WHEREAS, the planning departments of each county in the State can provide information from FIRMs for homeowners to become aware of the flood zone they live in and whether the flood zone is considered a high flood-risk or low-to-moderate flood-risk zone; and

     WHEREAS, since 1995, the County of Maui has participated in the Community Rating System (CRS) program through FEMA, which has resulted in homeowners in Maui enjoying discounts on their purchase of flood insurance; and

     WHEREAS, counties actively participating in various flood-related programs offered by FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program will enable state residents to gain awareness of the type of flood zone their home is located on and lessen their risk of flood damage and flood insurance costs; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that the City and County of Honolulu, the County of Hawaii, and Kauai County are urged to provide and increase information that will inform and enable businesses, renters, and landowners to gain knowledge of the flood zone that their businesses and homes are located on and the risks of flooding; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City and County of Honolulu, the County of Hawaii, and Kauai County participate in the CRS program through FEMA for discounts in flood insurance from five per cent in low-risk flood zones and up to forty-five per cent in higher-risk flood zones; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor, City and County of Honolulu; the Mayor, County of Hawaii; the Mayor, Kauai County; the Chairperson of the Honolulu City Council; the Chairperson of the Hawaii County Council; the Chairperson of the Kauai County Council; the Director of the Planning and Permitting Department, City and County of Honolulu; the Department Head of the Planning Department, County of Hawaii; and the Director of the Planning Department, Kauai County.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Flood Risk Awareness; Community Rating System Program; Counties