Floodwaters inundated homes and cars in February in San Jose, California. Thousands were ordered to evacuate city neighborhoods in the northern part of the state.
© Noah Berger/AFP/Getty Images
Floodwaters inundated homes and cars in February in San Jose, California. Thousands were ordered to evacuate city neighborhoods in the northern part of the state.
© Noah Berger/AFP/Getty Images
Two senators from opposite coasts introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday aimed at eliminating the costly cycle of rebuilding homes in communities that have been flooded multiple times. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Repeatedly Flooded Communities Preparation Act that would save taxpayers money and help better prepare communities for floods. The bill requires communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and have high numbers of repeatedly flooded properties to develop plans to reduce the impact of flooding rather than continually weathering the events and rebuilding at high cost to taxpayers.
Under the legislation, communities with more than 50 repeatedly flooded properties would be required to:
The House Financial Services Committee approved similar bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1558, June 21 sponsored by Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).
Historically, repeatedly flooded properties have accounted for just 1 percent of NFIP policyholders, but about 25 to 30 percent of flood claims. And the number of such properties continues to rise, according to Roy Wright, deputy associate administrator of the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
With the NFIP’s debt escalating to nearly $25 billion, the program cannot afford to continue to pay to rebuild structures time and again. Bringing new emphasis to reducing payouts to properties in areas that flood repeatedly would compel smarter planning and better decision-making about living and building in flood-prone areas.
Laura Lightbody leads The Pew Charitable Trusts’ flood-prepared communities initiative.