Patricia Rojas reports
Hurricane Katrina opened the eyes of many people in her wake; she uncovered racism, poverty, and government inadequacies. It was a wake up call to many, showing how their states are not as prepared as they thought they were. It was during an event at The New School "Urban Conversations: Cities at Risk," that I realized how long it is going to take to rebuild the gulf port area. However, that was not what caught my interest. At this event, the Governor of Louisiana kept mentioning how they are waiting for the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) flood maps and how the flood maps where going to change everything. These flood maps where going to be the key to Louisiana's future. The way that flood maps where made in into such an important aspect to Louisiana's recovery made me wonder: What are flood maps, and why are they so sacred all of a sudden?
Flooding ranks as the most common disaster in the United States. However, few people insure themselves to the risk, even the highly dangerous areas. More than half of the homeowners who live in federally designated flood plains do not have any type of flood insurance. Basic flood coverage for homeowners, renters and small businesses is provided through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), part of the Department of Homeland Security. The relatively inexpensive policies are then subsidized by taxpayer money and are sold by regular insurance agents.
FEMA creates nationwide maps that designate possible flood zones and calculates insurance premiums. The governments use the 100-year flood as the primary measurement of flood risk. These maps can pinpoint areas that may flood during a huge rainstorm that come around once every 100 years. Such a flood has a one percent chance of happening each year, based on surveying and statistical models. Insurance-rate calculations are based on a broad range of variables.
The maps affect several aspects of property ownership. Local governments use the flood maps to determine whether to issue building permits. In most cities, a new building constructed in a flood plain must be elevated high enough that floodwaters would not reach the living areas. In some cases other measures can be used to "flood-proof" a building. However, in high risk flood zones, the premiums can run as high as two thousand dollars for maximum coverage. The government-backed policies do have a few shortcomings: they cover a maximum $250,000 for a home's structure, and $100,000 for contents, making the insurance inadequate for higher priced properties. They also don’t cover most of the contents of a basement and do not cover the living expenses of a family if they are displaced. The insurance is for rebuilding and not replacing.
Katrina made the maps important, and when I started researching flood maps I was quite sure that I would only turn up articles about Louisiana. I was wrong. I found that states all over the U.S. are worried about the next big natural disaster. Flood maps were being reissued using the latest technology to create them. Any change in these new maps could cost homeowners a lot of money — some could end up paying a few thousand dollars. These maps can give the residents an idea of what their future can hold and what type of preparations they need to make if they are going live in a particular home or area.
Local governments are also worried about floods. The state of California has been storing backup data for several government offices and agencies and a few companies in buildings that could be flooded if the levees around the Natomas basin broke. Some of the counties in California are also questioning whether their levees will protect them.
In Lake Okeechobee, FL, the federal government withheld the release of the flood maps to the public, believing that there could be unnecessary hysteria if people knew that they were living in a potential flood zone. They also stated that they are concerned about security. The maps have been shown to with the emergency responders in the county so they are able to create evacuation plans. But for houses moved into a flood plain, insurance purchased now will almost certainly cost less than insurance purchased after the new maps are adopted — in some cases it will be as much as three or four times less expensive.
Around 200,000 home were damage or destroyed during Hurricane Katrina and at least 50 percent of the devastated properties lacked flood insurance, leaving some victims without the a home or money to rebuild. Seven months after Hurricane Katrina, FEMA issued the New Orleans flood maps, showing that some houses would have to be raised at least three feet to qualify for a Louisiana rebuilding grant. The maps are important to people trying to obtain building permits, loans and insurance to reconstruct their home and businesses. The NFIP is expected to pay out more than 24 billion because of last season's hurricanes — more than it's paid in its 38-year history.
"Local governments must have the FEMA flood maps to determine the footprints for rebuilding safely. Seven months have passed, and we are still waiting," said Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco during her 2006 State of the State address in the Louisiana House Chamber on March 27, 2006. She continued: "I desperately want all of our communities to be able to rebuild. Decisions being made behind closed doors in Washington must not be delayed. I say, if FEMA has to keep people working around the clock to produce the flood maps, by all means do it."
Blanco's words indicate just how important the FEMA flood maps are, especially to communities already devastate by natural disasters. Hopefully, the flood maps will aid people in poverty, instead of ensuring a better future.
Patricia Rojas is a program assistant with WHY's National Hunger Clearinghouse.
