The United States has established a final rule to strengthen the flood resilience of federal buildings and projects. The measure, which was finalized today, aims to ease the financial burden on taxpayers as the effects of climate change intensify the occurrence and impact of flooding.
The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, first proposed during former President Barack Obama’s tenure and now finalized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), requires U.S. agencies to harden federal buildings and projects against flood damage. This includes building projects to high levels and avoiding floodplains, taking into account current and future flood risks.
FEMA’s rule allows the agency to integrate climate science into its strategies to strengthen the flood resilience of projects and communities. Flooding in the United States is a major concern, claiming about a hundred lives each year and causing billions of dollars in damage. The new standard will apply to FEMA-funded projects, whether new construction, major improvements or repair work.
In light of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022, which affected public infrastructure throughout Florida, such as bridges, schools and libraries, projects damaged after September 9, 2022 will now have to be rebuilt to stricter standards to prevent, that the injury recurs.
A recent FEMA report highlighted the economic effectiveness of the latest flood-resistant building codes, indicating that for every dollar spent, approximately $11 is saved in damage and cleanup costs. FEMA has committed to sharing the costs of implementing the new standard for eligible projects, typically covering 75 percent or more of the costs.
The agency determined that raising a structure two feet adds less than 2 percent to the total cost of a project. For a $1 million project, the estimated cost increase to the applicant, after cost sharing, would be less than $5,000.
Commenting on the benefits of the rule, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said, “It will help reduce flood-related damage and keep Americans and the infrastructure they depend on safe — from fire stations to hospitals, roads and bridges — in the event of severe storms.rains This rule is a proactive measure to protect vital infrastructure and communities from the growing threat of flooding.
Reuters contributed to this article.
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