The government and many state insurance departments work hard to encourage homeowners to purchase flood insurance, explain how flood coverage works and explain that flooding is not covered by homeowners policies. Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle. Many homeowners in areas that are currently being flooded were not aware of their actual risk of flooding.

Some cities have been working to prepare for and mitigate the damages that future flooding could cause. Some municipalities have restored wetlands areas to allow for river swells, others have improved flood response so communities downstream are not impacted; others have stopped dumping snow into rivers, and instead are putting it outside the watershed, while others are attempting to move residents out of floodplains. The fewer people living in floodplains the better, and although relocating people is expensive, the continual rebuilding of properties that flood is a fool's errand.

As hurricanes are, flood insurance (or the lack thereof) is an issue. People who have lived in areas for generations in homes that never flooded have are experiencing flooding. Many do not have flood insurance and fall victim to thinking that it since it has not happened yet it will not happen to them. Right now, because the floods are current events and were so unexpected, flood insurance is not being discussed.

However, flooding does not only flow from rivers, streams and storm surges. Severe wildfires often lead to subsequent flooding. When a wildfire burns off vegetation and chars the ground, there are no plants to absorb the rainfall and the ground becomes too hard and compact to absorb water. After a wildfire, it can take up to five years for the ground to be restored to normal. During those five years, the risk of flooding and mudflow is significantly increased. Debris, ash, water and mud, can all flow downhill causing damage along the way.

For years, professionals have been discussing the fact that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) needs to be updated. Every time the program comes up for renewal before federal lawmakers, revision of the program is discussed but changes cannot be agreed upon. Between 2008 and 2012, the program was extended seventeen times with four lapses. Between September 2017 and November 2018, it was extended without changes seven times. A large problem is that NFIP is not based on actuarially sound rates, leaving it sorely underfunded. Attempts to raise rates, as was put forth in 2012, have been met with extreme pushback from the public. Federal lawmakers backed off of those 2012 rate changes in 2014 after significant public outcry.

Currently, NFIP is working on a new risk rating system, called Risk Rating 2.0, which establishes rates by incorporating multiple variables such as different types of flood, distance from the coast or another water source, areas of heavy rainfall from storms, and costs to rebuild a home among others. Leading cat models were involved in building the new rates. It is hoped that factoring in the cost to rebuild a home will help owners of lower-value homes obtain rates that are more equitable. Industry best practices and technology will be used which will be beneficial. NFIP has long been criticized for having outdated flood maps that do not necessarily reflect actual risk of flooding. With rates based on several variables, it is hoped this will make premiums more appropriate for the level of risk and eventually help homeowners understand their true risk of flood.