Flood Plain Management 



not been used to enforce a strict interpretation of floodplain management 

 principles, although hazard mitigation policy has been articulated. 



Implementation: Local Programs 



Interviews with planning officials at the local level suggest that the 

 floodplain management program has not served to control development in 

 hazard areas. In coastal high hazard areas, in fact, the availability of 

 subsidized insurance has encouraged redevelopment in zones cleared of 

 structures by the major storms of 1938 and 1954. Coastal area property values 

 appear to be supported by the program, particularly given the nature of current policy on 

 hazard area building modification and reconstruction. The divergence of the program firom 

 its objectives is due to weaknesses at local, state, and federal levels. 



The Division of Planning is responsible for reviewing commu nitie s' compliance with 

 floodplain management measures required of participants in the NFIP. Community 

 assistance visits, which are conducted by the Division of Planning and FEMA are intended 

 to assess the effectiveness of the local programs. In practice the Division has little 

 or no information going into a site review and must rely on building 

 inspectors to make files available. If a community program is found lacking, 

 neither the state nor FEMA have adequate means to encourage improvement. FENIA may 

 require that a $25 fee increase be attached to poUcies in non-complying communities. 

 Towns are given a year to improve procedures. 



Enforcement of existing flood-related construction standards and 

 stormwater management standards by local building inspectors was a major 

 source of Task Force concern. Although CRMC has been involved in a joint effort 

 with the Division of Planning and the State Building Commissioner's Office to improve the 

 effectiveness of local enforcement, proposed legislation providing for training of local 

 building inspectors, and for development of a rotating technical assistance program, has not 

 yet been submitted. 



In some communities, lack of availability of accurate, easily referenced floodplain data 

 maps has complicated enforcement FEMA provides Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) 

 for each participating community. Maps are periodically revised to reflect changed 

 conditions, and FEMA is presently combining floodplain and floodway designations on 

 new maps. These areas were previously mapped separately. In certain municipalities, 

 however, base flood elevations for A Zones, which are important in a planning context, are 

 not provided on the FIRMs. Current coastal flood hazard area maps, which serve as a 

 critical tool in limiting high-hazard area development at the local and state levels, are 

 presendy being prepared as a product of FEMA's Hurricane Evacuation Program. These 

 maps are as yet incomplete. 



Concerns regarding inappropriate issuance of variances were reviewed by 

 the task force. The state and local building codes require that any 

 application for a variance from hazard mitigation requirements must be 

 forwarded to the Division of Planning for review before the variance is 

 granted. According to the NFIP, a variance is to be issued only under "exceptional 

 circumstances." Permit applications require base flood elevation and other data necessary 

 for evaluation of impact. If complete application data were provided, the data should 

 proved a reference for flood evaluation at the local level, should allow the Division of 



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