1998 Year of the Ocean Mitigating the Impacts of Coastal Hazards 



The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), administered by FEMA, has played a 

 critical role in mitigating damages due to coastal flooding. The NFIP provides federally backed 

 flood insurance in communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management measures 

 to reduce future flood damages. FEMA has identified flood hazard areas, including coastal high 

 hazard areas that are subject to wave forces. Buildings constructed to NFIP minimum standards 

 on the average perform significantly better in coastal floods and have fewer insurance claims 

 than buildings that pre-date those requirements. Even though NFIP standards and technical 

 guidance have resulted in fundamental changes in how coastal buildings are designed and 

 constructed, reducing the extent of damages to individual structures, overall damages may 

 continue to rise due to the increased value and density of development in high hazard areas. 



In addition to strengthening the structural integrity of facilities, there are also important 

 mitigation tools for the non-structural elements of buildings, utility systems, and transportation 

 systems. Simple retrofits such as securing light fixtures to ceilings, installing wind shutters, 

 strapping or bolting mechanical systems to walls, and numerous other techniques can prevent 

 injuries and minimize damages and business interruptions. On a larger scale, public infrastructure 

 such as utility systems, roads and bridges, and drainage structures can be designed, built, or 

 retrofitted for hazard resistance. 



The Role of Land Use Planning 



The process of establishing and implementing state and community comprehensive 

 development and land use plans provides significant opportunities to mitigate damages caused by 

 natural hazards. Since location is a key factor in determining the risks associated with natural 

 hazards, land use plans are a valuable tool in that they can designate low-risk uses for areas that 

 are most vulnerable to natural hazards impacts. 



Land use planning has long been recognized as an effective method for mitigating the 

 impacts of natural hazards. As more information becomes available to local communities about 

 the nature of the hazards they face, it is possible to integrate more detailed hazards data into 

 ongoing planning and decision-making processes. Technology improvements such as the use of 

 Geographic Information Systems in local planning allow numerous factors, including hazards, to 

 be considered in making land use decisions. Even though more information is now available, 

 numerous obstacles remain to implementing policies to prohibit, restrict, or even discourage 

 development and redevelopment in high hazard areas. Many of these obstacles are political, 

 relating to the ongoing debates about the rights of individual property owners versus the rights of 

 government to restrict the use of private property. Even more basic, however, is the difficulty 

 often faced in raising the priority of hazard considerations in the routine plarming process. 



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