{ "id": "R45017", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R45017", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 612013, "date": "2019-12-17", "retrieved": "2020-01-02T13:36:39.481210", "title": "Flood Resilience and Risk Reduction: Federal Assistance and Programs", "summary": "Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in reducing flood risks and improving flood resilience, which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. Federal programs that assist communities in reducing their flood risk and improving their flood resilience include programs funding infrastructure projects (e.g., levees, shore protection) and other flood mitigation activities (e.g., nature-based flood risk reduction) and mitigation incentives for communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).\nAssistance Programs\nCongress has established various federal programs to assist state, local, and territorial entities and tribes in reducing community flood risk. Each federal program has its own focus, statutory limitations, and way of operating. For example, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is triggered by a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Stafford Act, and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program becomes available as the result of a 6% set-aside from the Disaster Relief Fund after every major disaster declaration. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the HMGP and PDM. In contrast to how the HMGP and PDM are triggered, Congress uses annual appropriations and supplemental appropriations to fund other assistance programs. Eligibility for assistance through some of these programs also may be tied to disaster declarations. These assistance programs include\nFEMA\u2019s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program; \nU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) flood risk reduction projects; \nU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acquisition of floodplain easements and grants for flood risk reduction projects; \nNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants for coastal resilience, restoration, and management (including the Great Lakes);\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) support for state-administered loan programs and direct credit assistance for stormwater management; and\nDepartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Community Development Block GrantDisaster Recovery (CDBGDR) programs.\nFlood Insurance\nCongress established the National Flood Insurance Program in the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (NFIA; 42 U.S.C. \u00a7\u00a74001 et seq.). For federal flood insurance to be available to homeowners and business owners in a community, the NFIP requires participating communities to develop and adopt flood maps and enact minimum floodplain standards based on those flood maps. The NFIP encourages communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations such as zoning codes, building codes, subdivision ordinances, and rebuilding restrictions. The NFIP also encourages communities to reduce flood risk through three programs: the FMA, Community Rating System, and Increased Cost of Compliance coverage.\nContext for Federal Activities and Policy Considerations\nIn the United States, flood-related responsibilities are shared. States and local governments have significant discretion in land use and development decisions that shape communities\u2019 vulnerability to floods and the consequence of floods. Since the 1960s, the federal role in responding to catastrophic and regional flooding has expanded through the NFIP and federal disaster response and recovery efforts. Recent floods and concerns about a changing climate have brought attention to the nation\u2019s and the federal government\u2019s financial exposure to flood losses and floods\u2019 economic, social, and public health impacts. Members of Congress and other decisionmakers are faced with numerous policy questions, including whether federal programs and policies provide incentives or disincentives for states and communities to prepare for floods and manage their flood risks, and whether changes to how federal assistance programs and the NFIP are implemented and funded could improve long-term flood resilience.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45017", "sha1": "9dc210fcece4bcc2ea85eb825436520fb8a2a036", "filename": "files/20191217_R45017_9dc210fcece4bcc2ea85eb825436520fb8a2a036.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/0.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_2bab17a562347ae657bd9e820f3ae2a98fd24c6b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/1.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_f6ed8be00818308adf5cc8cab95d12fc510843bb.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/4.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_dc5ea83db7d50bde6818af9b025c6a8d75fcc79b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/5.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_3c5e3daa844329451bd04cc22d1ecb148dcbb0ac.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/3.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_22a8af75fbedbfd49de1c85b39e31f7d6360207e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/6.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_409565edda1eee641eb1f66f3c67513b18ba11a9.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/7.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_3ea76426c12a1a8007c49c3ec176808a9a25f6cb.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/2.png": "files/20191217_R45017_images_50a15cd020a54e61b5507d05312e1281773e8464.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45017", "sha1": "9fcecc695cdbda972d8d145f0e85b050844ab341", "filename": "files/20191217_R45017_9fcecc695cdbda972d8d145f0e85b050844ab341.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4845, "name": "Federal Emergency Management" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4909, "name": "Water Resource Management" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 583771, "date": "2018-07-25", "retrieved": "2018-08-16T17:07:37.029030", "title": "Flood Resilience and Risk Reduction: Federal Assistance and Programs", "summary": "Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in not only reducing flood risks, but also improving flood resilience, which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. In the United States, flood-related responsibilities are shared. States and local governments have significant discretion in land use and development decisions, which can be major factors in determining the vulnerability to and consequence of hurricanes, storms, extreme rainfall, and other flood events. Congress has established various federal programs that may be available to assist U.S. state, local, and territorial entities and tribes in reducing flood risks. Among the most significant federal activities to reduce communities\u2019 flood risks and improve flood resilience are\nassistance with infrastructure projects (e.g., levees, shore protection) and other flood mitigation activities that save lives and reduce property damage; and \nmitigation incentives for communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).\nAssistance Programs \nEach federal program that provides flood-related assistance has its own focus, statutory limitations, and way of operating. Some programs are triggered by certain declarations or actions and may be available only to areas or states subject to recent disasters. These programs include\nthe Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is triggered by a Stafford Act disaster declaration; and \nCommunity Development Block GrantDisaster Recovery (CDBGDR) assistance administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which may be available if Congress provides supplemental appropriations.\nAlthough subject to available appropriations, other federal assistance may be more broadly accessible when funded through annual appropriations or more targeted when also funded through supplemental appropriations. These assistance programs include\nFEMA\u2019s Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program; \nU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) flood risk reduction studies and construction projects; \nU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acquisition of floodplain easements and grants for flood risk reduction projects; \nNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants for oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, and other coastal zone restoration and management-related opportunities;\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) support for state-administered loan programs and direct credit assistance for stormwater management; and\nHUD\u2019s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.\nFlood Insurance\nIn order for federal flood insurance to be available to homeowners and business owners in a community, the NFIP requires participating communities to develop and adopt flood maps and enact minimum floodplain standards based on those flood maps. The NFIP encourages communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations such as zoning codes, building codes, subdivision ordinances, and rebuilding restrictions. The NFIP also encourages communities to reduce flood risk through three programs: the FMA, Community Rating System, and Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage.\nContext for Federal Activities and Policy Considerations \nSince the 1960s, the federal role in responding to catastrophic and regional flooding has expanded both through the NFIP and federal disaster response and recovery efforts. Hurricane Katrina and subsequent events have generated concern about the nation\u2019s and the federal government\u2019s financial exposure to flood losses and floods\u2019 economic, social, and public health impacts on individuals and communities. Members of Congress and other decisionmakers are faced with numerous policy questions, including whether federal programs provide incentives or disincentives for state and local entities to prepare for floods and manage their flood risks, and whether changes to how federal assistance programs and the NFIP are implemented and funded could result in long-term resilience benefits.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45017", "sha1": "b32ee7eb9e081c3ed2a61a38e315954e123a9d8d", "filename": "files/20180725_R45017_b32ee7eb9e081c3ed2a61a38e315954e123a9d8d.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_b8874ca6d95300ebca680751e325bc39852f4fc4.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_25dc9d8c8411136b2330551a1ac60d57f04cb707.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/5.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_b75c14bf12ae3d2a027a3f2c37b885d01fabf5f4.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/8.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_a1305870bef62760ff869981b5077063355dbcb0.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/3.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_5eeee7dbd7eab9fbaa72baf8e1010bd2533cb315.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/4.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_b1db83c551fa48903ce6a68520c433f53ddbc553.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/6.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_db07f1fda3fbf74809ea30f3a00bd7aab40b0fb7.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/7.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_518a8da3a46c33b9b999d7153d52304e423be7c6.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45017_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180725_R45017_images_832c169a29f18286aa9bf8fd9e39c35f75328efb.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45017", "sha1": "93c5a5f838cdad076ff22a43e614f793e03d5a90", "filename": "files/20180725_R45017_93c5a5f838cdad076ff22a43e614f793e03d5a90.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4845, "name": "Federal Emergency Management" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4909, "name": "Water Resource Management" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 575458, "date": "2017-11-13", "retrieved": "2017-11-28T14:44:36.303991", "title": "Flood-Risk Reduction and Resilience: Federal Assistance and Programs", "summary": "Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in not only reducing flood risks, but also improving flood resilience, which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. In the United States, flood-related responsibilities are shared. States and local governments have significant discretion in land-use and development decisions, which can be major factors in determining the vulnerability to and consequence of hurricanes, storms, extreme rainfall, and other flood events. Congress has established various federal programs that may be available to assist U.S. state, local, and territorial entities and tribes in reducing flood risks. Among the most significant federal activities to reduce communities\u2019 flood risks and improve flood resilience are\nassistance with infrastructure projects (e.g., levees, shore protection) and other flood mitigation activities that save lives and reduce property damage; and \nmitigation incentives for communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).\nThis report provides an overview of these assistance programs and the NFIP-related mitigation incentives; it also raises flood-related policy considerations associated with federal programs and practices.\nAssistance Programs \nEach federal program that provides flood-related assistance has its own focus, statutory limitations, and way of operating. Some programs are triggered by certain declarations or actions and may be available only to areas or states subject to recent disasters. These programs include\nthe Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is triggered by a Stafford Act disaster declaration; and \nCommunity Development Block GrantDisaster Recovery (CDBGDR) assistance administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which may be available if Congress provides supplemental appropriations.\nAlthough subject to available appropriations, other federal assistance may be more broadly accessible. These assistance programs include\nFEMA\u2019s Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program; \nU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) risk-reduction projects; \nU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acquisition of floodplain easements and flood-risk-reduction project grants; \nNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) coastal resilience grants;\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) support for state-administered loan programs and direct credit assistance for stormwater management; and\nHUD\u2019s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.\nFlood Insurance \nIn order for federal flood insurance to be available to homeowners and business owners in a community, the NFIP requires participating communities to develop and adopt flood maps and enact minimum floodplain standards based on those flood maps. The NFIP encourages communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations such as zoning codes, building codes, subdivision ordinances, and rebuilding restrictions. The NFIP also encourages communities to reduce flood risk through three programs: the FMA, Community Rating System, and Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage.\nContext for Federal Activities and Policy Considerations \nSince the 1960s, the federal role in responding to catastrophic and regional flooding has expanded both through the NFIP and federal disaster response and recovery efforts. Hurricane Katrina and subsequent events have generated concern about the nation\u2019s and the federal government\u2019s financial exposure to flood losses and floods\u2019 economic, social, and public health impacts on individuals and communities. Members of Congress and other decisionmakers are faced with numerous policy questions, including whether federal programs provide incentives or disincentives for state and local entities to prepare for floods and manage their flood risks, and whether changes to how federal assistance programs and the NFIP are implemented and funded could result in long-term resilience benefits.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45017", "sha1": "483dd4b1c3bedd3a8fb82fd19a6a761fb9e0ba8e", "filename": "files/20171113_R45017_483dd4b1c3bedd3a8fb82fd19a6a761fb9e0ba8e.html", "images": {} }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45017", "sha1": "da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709", "filename": "files/20171113_R45017_da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4845, "name": "Federal Emergency Management" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4909, "name": "Water Resource Management" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Agricultural Policy", "Appropriations", "Energy Policy", "Environmental Policy" ] }