Is there a viable way to mitigate the loss of life and damages to property and infrastructure caused by flooding? The National Research Council (NRC) says “yes” in a new report that recommends replacing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps with improved versions containing high-accuracy and high-resolution land surface elevation data.
The benefits of more accurate flood maps, the NRC says, will outweigh the costs, mainly because insurance premiums and building restrictions would better match the actual flood risks. Coastal region flood maps could also be improved by updating current models and using two-dimensional storm surge and wave models.
FEMA commonly uses flood maps to set flood insurance rates, regulate floodplain development, and inform those who live in the “100-year” floodplain of potential hazards. As such, these maps require ongoing maintenance and revisions because of the changing shape of landscapes due to development and natural events. FEMA's Map Modernization Program of 2003 to 2008 resulted in digital flood maps for 92 percent of the continental U.S. population, most of whom live in areas that had outdated maps or no maps at all. However, after a $1 billion investment, only 21 percent of the population has maps that meet all of FEMA's data quality standards.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
