Reducing Flood Losses Local Planning and Land Use Controls

Abstract

The National Flood Insurance Program emphasizes building elevation requirements to protect property from flood damage and to limit continued increases in national flood losses. Economists believe that the cost to elevate buildings will shift some development to flood-free locations. This article provides evidence that elevating buildings to NFIP standards does indeed reduce losses, but that adding additional elevation requirements will have little effect on the rate of increase in floodplain development. Instead, these requirements must be supplemented with regulation of floodplain land use.