The National Flood Conference 2010
The National Flood Conference 2010
This year’s National Flood Conference (NFC) took place in San Diego, CA, from April 11 through 14. Nearly 750 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) stakeholders attended including agents from all over the United States, lenders, FEMA staff, and WYO Company representatives. This yearly event, like others before it, offered activities for those in the flood insurance and mitigation fields. It also served as a meeting ground for those in flood insurance fields who do not otherwise get a chance to interact and work face to face.
Crowning this year’s keynote speeches was an address from FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. His talk on the importance of resilience in the face of disaster touched on many aspects of the NFIP that are often overlooked and offered a view of the program from a different angle.
Fugate spoke of the NFIP in terms of a type of “health care situation.” “The Federal Government is a direct provider of insurance, in the Flood Program; in effect, Congress is the Board of Directors, you are the shareholders, you’re the taxpayers—you own it. Do you know what you own? You own about a trillion dollars in exposure. Did you know that? You also have about $18.8 billion in debt. You’re currently paying about $100 million a year in interest on that debt. The only people required to buy your product have a pre-existing condition . . .”
Acting Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administrator Ed Connor also passed along his insights, hopes, and advice for the future of the NFIP. During his speech, Connor pointed out, “Even though the NFIP is in need of some reforms, it still provides an essential service to the American public.” He reminded the audience of the reality and impact of their work. “Were it not for the NFIP, flood insurance would not be available, or if it were available, it would not be affordable,” Connor said.
Other speakers at the NFC included Josh Rubenstein, staff meteorologist and general assignment reporter for CBS 2 and KCAL 9; Everett Randall, senior vice president of the American Institutes for CPCU (AICPCU); Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., senior economist of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB); and Dennis S. Mileti, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Colorado at Boulder. For more information about these speakers and videos of their presentations, please visit http://www.nfipiservice.com/speakers.html.
Many companies chose to exhibit their services and products during the event, filling the Sheraton San Diego’s Harbor Island Ballroom with creative and colorful displays. A welcoming reception was also held in this ballroom, allowing the many attendees to visit each booth and learn more about each company. For more information regarding exhibiting at the NFC, please contact the conference team at nfc2010@ostglobal.com.
As always, the conference featured workshops that covered topics related to all sectors of the NFIP. A few of the workshops drew standing-room only crowds as industry experts explained issues and answered critical questions about NFIP hot topics. Some of the presentations used in the workshops are available to those interested at http://www.nfipiservice.com/workshop_sched.html.
The NFIP awards were presented during the opening sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The NFC team would like to congratulate all of the winners and thank them for their important role in the NFIP’s success. A full article detailing the awards and their winners can be found at http://www.nfipiservice.com/watermark/nfcawards.html.
A full review, including pictures, newsletters, a final attendee list, and other relevant information, is available online at http://www.nfipiservice.com/nfc.html.
Next year’s conference is scheduled to be held in May in New Orleans, LA. The NFC Team looks forward to seeing everyone there!
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