The perfect storm : changing national policies to reduce flooding impacts and costs

Abstract

Flooding matters. As the nation's most common natural hazard, flooding costs this nation economically, disrupts communities and commerce, and renders communities and extrapolated-the nation-less than fully postured for other homeland security threats. It will not get better. Demographics leading to more people living in flood-hazard areas and forecasted increases in precipitation are converging to create the perfect storm. This thesis examines two national policies that can influence the impact and costs of flooding: The National Flood Insurance Program and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Act. Examination and research reveals that the NFIP has failed to achieve its goals of reducing flood losses and political, economic, and societal factors serve to make reforming the NFIP effectively less than likely. A policy options analysis examines how changes to the Stafford Act might influence a reduction in the impact and costs of flooding where the political, economic, and societal factors at play may lend to favorable implementation consideration. The policy options include changing enforcement and incentive provisions of the Stafford Act along with a proposal to begin a national dialogue on mitigation through the creation of a National Mitigation Collaborative Consortium