Risk Map Update FGCS Meeting Paul Rooney FEMA January 13 th, 2014

2 Reduce Risk to Lives and Property Promote Community Mitigation Action Increase Awareness of Flood Risk Collaborate across all levels of government Enhance delivery of Risk MAP Products  Support that allows communities to identify risks and promote:  Community resiliency  Sustainability  Reduced need for federal disaster assistance MITIGATION PLANNING  Tools to understand how flood risk has changed  Continuous engagement with communities  Enable communities to communicate flood risk to constituents Deliver High-Quality Risk Data  Understandable Flood Maps  Credible data—reliable, accurate, watershed-based  Illustrations of possible Flood Depths  Usable Flood Risk Assessments Products Goals Processes Risk MAP Goals

3 Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW12)  In 2012, Congress passed legislation which will dramatically change parts of the National Flood Insurance Program Changes to make the program more financially stable Changes which require the NFIP to raise rates to reflect true flood risk Changes for property owners affected by map updates  There are two core changes to the previous program design Reduced insurance rates to encourage flood insurance purchase for older high risk buildings are sunset Reduced insurance rates for properties built in compliance with NFIP maps will no longer be available when updated maps show increased risks

4 What is Changing?  Flood insurance rates  Rates for most properties will more accurately reflect risk.  Subsidized rates for non-primary residences are being phased out now.  Other subsidized rates will be eliminated over time:  New policies sold after July 6, 2012 to cover previously uninsured properties; and  Purchase of a property, allowing a policy to lapse, repetitive loss or cumulative damage, or other events, could trigger rate changes beginning in When a community adopts a new flood map, discounts like grandfathering will be phased out – meaning premiums will increase over time. Expected in 2014  Flood risks and the costs of flooding  Weather patterns, erosion, and development are a few factors increasing flood risk in many communities.  Better science, improved tools and more data are providing more accurate definition of flood hazards.  More buildings and other infrastructure are being built in areas at risk for flooding and replacement costs continue to grow.

5 BW-12 and Mapping: On the Right Path Authorizes Mapping Program Identify, review, update, maintain and publish National Flood Insurance Policy Rate Maps 100-year floodplain 500-year floodplain Develop National Flood Insurance Program flood data on a watershed basis Establish a Scientific Resolution Panel Create a USACE/FEMA Taskforce Complete a study on Levees Engage local communities about flood risks

6 BW-12 and Mapping: Additions Create a Technical Mapping Advisory Council (TMAC) Include climate study and future conditions study in map updates to areas of residual risk, including areas that are protected dams Improve interagency coordination and studies

7 Study of Interagency Coordination  Mandated by BW12  Performed by the National Academy of Public Adminstration  Available on the NAPA web site  Recommends OMB lead a government-wide strategy for multipurpose mapping capabilities  Strong endorsement of 3DEP  Mainly focused on FEMA internal processes

8 New Elevation Requirements  Most Flood Insurance Policies in the SFHA need an elevation certificate to obtain insurance  Pre-FIRM buildings (about 20% of policies) do not  Pre-FIRM rates are being phased out  Many grandfathered policies (originally not in the SFHA, now mapped in) also do not have elevation certificates (about 10% of policies)  Grandfathered rates are being phased out  Are there methods to estimate building elevations that are adequate to rate insurance?

9 Q&A

10 Paul Rooney|