![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Similar analyses have been done by private-sector firms and university consortiums, and they have become important tools to help assess disaster risk in ways not previously possible.Įnvironmental groups have been critical of FEMA for its outdated flood maps and its slow pace of updating maps in areas with rising risk.Ī FEMA spokesperson said the agency’s flood maps do not conflict with First Street’s findings, but “rather they complement one another by depicting different types of risk and will be helpful in different ways for an individual to determine flood risk.” The report and Flood Factor tool reflect revolutionary advances in the way scientists calculate climate change risk using complex data models, evidence-based climate projections and even simulations that show how climate disasters would affect communities and properties, often using digitally enhanced overlays on base maps. In addition to the report, First Street rolled out a new internet tool called Flood Factor that allows individuals to focus on neighborhoods or specific properties to see detailed flood risk information, including a 1-to-10 Flood Factor score for each mapped property address. He said the information would allow communities to make calculated decisions about flood risk rather than face a “binary choice” about risk based on a map line. “I do think that this will be a bit of a shock to some folks, but an important one that people can then understand and react appropriately versus continuing to operate with blinders on.” “For a lot of people, they’ve just had no information previously, and this is going to be the first time that they’re actually going to see it and be able to understand what flood risk means to them personally,” Matthew Eby, First Street’s executive director, said during a briefing on Monday with reporters. In most of those cases, the cost of flood damages falls on property owners. ![]() Mortgage lenders and insurers also continue to finance and write policies for such properties without adequately accounting for flood risk. The granular analysis, which accounts for sea-level rise, coastal storm surges, peak precipitation events and river flooding, means that homeowners have purchased properties in virtually every state without fully understanding their loss risk, the authors said. The findings, based on advanced modeling of flood conditions under current and projected climate scenarios, show that FEMA’s estimates of properties with a 1% flood risk-meaning a property that’s expected to see major flooding once every 100 years-could be far too conservative. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has undercounted nearly 8 million homes and businesses that face substantial risk of flooding, placing more Americans in jeopardy from coastal storms, rising rivers and flash flooding, according to a new analysis from the nonprofit First Street Foundation. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |