Federal Flood Plain Regulation

WEBINAR PROCEEDING AS SCHEDULED

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) plays a very important role in protecting communities and their residents and businesses from the disaster caused by flooding. It publicizes the areas of greatest flood risk, restricts construction with high flood risk, and provides insurance for the flood losses that are excluded from most homeowners and general business policies. These activities have a critical impact on the ability of local government officials and property owners to develop or redevelop land in flood prone areas throughout the country - or even to allow rebuilding after disaster events such as ‘Superstorm Sandy'. Yet many local government officials and property owners - and even the attorneys, architects and engineers who represent them - do not understand how the program works or how to challenge inaccurate mapping or floodplain management decisions that have a major financial and community impact. These impacts include restrictions on development, mandatory flood insurance, higher insurance premiums, and disqualification from disaster assistance - and will dramatically increase in importance as FEMA implements the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act which was enacted last July.

This live webinar will explain how the different parts of the NFIP work to reduce flood risk and summarize the process that FEMA uses to finalize flood maps and floodplain management restrictions. It will help community officials, property owners, and engineers understand how to participate in this process and assure that FEMA does not reach adverse decisions due to inaccurate risk modeling or data. We will also highlight the key issues faced by NFIP, such as recertification of levees during map modernization and the litigation over use of the NFIP to protect endangered species, and their potential impact.

Learning Objectives:

• You will be able to discuss FEMA's flood plain management rules and processes.
• You will be able to review key components of the national flood insurance program.
• You will be able to describe risk identification and FEMA Mapping.
• You will be able to identify enforcement challenges