National Flood Insurance Program/Floodplain Management

The National Flood Insurance Program is a Federal program enabling property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance protection against losses from flooding. This insurance is designed to provide an insurance alternative to disaster assistance to meet the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods.

Participation in the NFIP is based on a an agreement between local communities and the Federal Government that states if a community will adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks to new construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas, the Federal Government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses.

For decades, the national response to flood disasters was generally limited to constructing flood-control works such as dams, levees, seawalls, and the like, and providing disaster relief to flood victims. This approach did not reduce losses, nor did it discourage unwise development. In some instances, it may have actually encouraged additional development. To compound the problem, the public generally could not buy flood coverage from insurance companies, and building techniques to reduce flood damage were often overlooked.

In the face of mounting flood losses and escalating costs of disaster relief to the general taxpayers, the U.S. Congress created the NFIP. The intent was to reduce future flood damage through community floodplain management ordinances, and to provide protection for property owners against potential losses through an insurance mechanism that requires a premium to be paid for the protection.

Answers to Questions about the NFIP

Resources:

www.floodsmart.gov

Answers to Questions About the NFIP (F-084)

Design Guidelines for Flood Damage Reduction (FEMA-15)

Elevated Residential Structures (FEMA-54)

Coastal Construction Manual (FEMA-55)

Manufactured Home Installation in Flood Hazard Areas (FEMA-85)

Floodproofing Non-Residential Structures

Reducing Losses in High Risk Flood Hazard Areas (FEMA-116)

Mandatory Purchase of Flood Insurance Guidelines (FEMA-083)

Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage – How You Can Benefit (F-300)