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DHS FEMA NFIP Services - eWaterwark Article
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Controlling Flood Damage
The toolbox available to floodplain managers now encompasses much more than building dams and
levees. A brief retrospective of flood control in the United States shows how floodplain management
has changed to more effectively protect people and property in floodplains.
As defined by the Flood Control Acts of 1928 and 1936, the role of government agencies was to build
massive flood control structures to control the great rivers, protect coastal areas and prevent flash
flooding. The 1936 act alone authorized construction of some 250 projects for both flood control and
relief work.
Until the 1960s, such structural flood control projects were seen as the primary way to reduce
flood losses. Public policy emphasized that flood losses could be curbed by controlling floodwater
with structures such as dams, levees and floodwalls. But people began to question the effectiveness
of this single solution. Disaster relief expenses were going up, making all taxpayers pay more to
provide relief to those with property in floodplains. Studies during the 1960s concluded that flood
losses were increasing, in spite of the number of flood control structures that had been built.
One of the main reasons structural flood control projects failed to reduce flood losses was that
people continued to build in floodplains. In response, federal, state and local agencies began to
develop policies and programs with a "non-structural" emphasis, ones that did not prescribe projects
to control or redirect the path of floods. Since the 1960s, floodplain management has evolved from
heavy reliance on flood control, or structural measures, to use of a combination of many tools.
The creation of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1968 was a landmark step in this evolution.
The NFIP:
- Established an insurance program as an alternative to disaster relief.
- Distributed responsibility for floodplain management to all levels of government and the
private sector.
- Set a national standard for regulating new development in floodplains.
- Began a comprehensive floodplain mapping program.
Also during the 1960s and 1970s, interest increased in protecting and restoring the environment,
including the natural resources and functions of floodplains. Coordinating flood-loss reduction
programs with environmental protection and watershed management programs has since become a major
goal of federal, state and local programs.
As a result of this evolution, we no longer depend solely on structural projects to control
floodwater. U.S. floodplain policies are now multi-purpose and result in a mix of solutions to
suit many situations. Consequently, floodplain managers like you have several non-structural flood
protection measures at their disposal. These measures include:
- Regulations to prohibit development in high-hazard areas.
- Building codes requiring flood-resistant construction for new buildings in floodprone areas.
- Acquisition and relocation of buildings in high-hazard areas.
- Modifying or retrofitting existing buildings.
- Installing flood warning systems.
- Controlling stormwater runoff.
- Providing self-help advice to property owners.
This article is based on information from Floodplain Management
Requirements: A Study Guide and Desk Reference for Local Officials.
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| Last Modified:
Friday, 21 January 2011 |
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