Planning for the Future in Floodplains

Resource: Article

Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts

Almost three-quarters of registered voters—across party lines—support policies that would enable communities to better prepare for and respond to floods, according to a nationwide survey. 

The poll, conducted by the research firm Public Opinion Strategies for The Pew Charitable Trusts, examined attitudes toward flood-related disasters and proposed policy reforms aimed at improving preparedness and reducing recovery costs. Specifically, participants were asked about the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides federally backed coverage for homeowners and small businesses in more than 22,000 U.S. communities and is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The flood insurance program is nearly $25 billion in debt. Respondents overwhelmingly support proposals to require that property sellers disclose flood risk and that communities take steps to lessen flood impacts and thus reduce the costs of rebuilding.