Reducing Flood Risk Is Up To You
Release Date: June 6, 2003
Release Number: 1464-53
» More Information on Tennessee Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
Nashville, TN -- Floods cause a billion dollars worth of damage each year in the United States, and federal, state and local governments do all they can to reduce the hazards and the damage. They build dams, levees, and floodwalls, dredge channels, remove debris, and provide funding and incentives to clear floodplains.
"Despite all the government money that is spent, the ultimate burden of lowering flood risk lies with the property owners who are in harm's way," said Michael Bolch, the official in charge of federal recovery operations in Tennessee. "The best way to reduce flood vulnerability is one house, one neighborhood, one community at a time."
Tennessee has suffered extensive flood damage statewide in the wake of May's tornadoes and storms, and the recovery process will be a long one.
The first step in reducing flood risk is to talk to local building code enforcement officials. "These local officials can show you current flood maps, explain floodplain ordinances, and give you practical advice on reducing future damages," said John D. White, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).
The first step in reducing financial risk is to buy flood insurance - whether your property is in the floodplain or not. Flooding frequently occurs in areas outside designated floodplains. Flood insurance pays to repair physical damage from flooding, and new policies (bought or renewed since June of 2000) also provide up to $30,000 to bring a flood-damaged structure into compliance with floodplain ordinances to reduce future flood damage.
Local officials will have copies of the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Map, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for all communities taking part in the National Flood Insurance Program. They can pinpoint whether a structure is in the floodplain, and tell what elevation standard must be met for construction.
They also can tell property owners about federal, state and local programs that provide financial assistance for retrofitting projects to reduce flood risk.
"State and local governments are squarely behind the effort to make structures more flood-resistant," White said. "Buildings that comply with National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) standards suffer 77 percent less flood damage than those built before local enforcement of those standards."
It is estimated that NFIP standards save $1 billion a year in flood losses, reducing the cost of disaster relief for all taxpayers.
Flood insurance is available from most private insurance companies and from agents who sell homeowners or property insurance, or can be obtained by calling the NFIP information line at 1-800-427-4661.
Last Modified: Friday, 06-Jun-2003 15:50:55