August 1, 2018, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968. The Act was motivated by the devastating loss of life and property by Hurricane Betsy in 1965 and created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Since then, the program has aimed to reduce the impact of flooding on private and public structures by providing affordable insurance to property owners, renters and businesses, as well as by encouraging communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations.
Where it rains, it can flood. The NFIP protects Americans against the financial losses from floods. For the safety of our communities, together we can ensure that the NFIP is viable for the next 50 years.
Insurance
Quick Facts:
- The NFIP's policies can be purchased in more than 22,000 communities across the country that are choosing to protect their residents from flood by managing their floodplains.
- The NFIP assists and regulates local governments lowering the built environment’s exposure to flood, which saves the Nation more than $1.6 billion/year in avoided flood losses.
- The NFIP paid over $64 billion in claims during the last 50 years, averaging $1.28 billion per year.
- We know from experience individuals and businesses recover quicker and more fully with flood insurance than those without. Following Hurricane Harvey, the average Individual Assistance grant from FEMA was $4,000, while the average NFIP claim payment in the same county was $110,000 on average.
For more information, visit www.FloodSmart.gov.
Mitigation
Quick Facts:
• More than 1,485 communities have taken a more assertive approach to keep their residents safe by joining the NFIP’s Community Rating System, which provides discounts for some flood insurance policies.
• FEMA has dedicated nearly $4 billion in flood grants--buying out or elevating nearly 53,000 properties.
• Since NFIP Flood Mitigation Grants were first provided, in 1996, the NFIP has helped mitigate more than 6,300 flood prone properties, investing $1.1 billion. For every one dollar invested in disaster mitigation today, six dollars can be saved.
Flood Mitigation Success Stories:
This page identifies Flood Mitigation Success stories by hazard and the area of impact.
Alabama
Arkansas
California
Florida
New Jersey
New York
- New York Floodplain Management Team Advances Progress through Education and Collaboration
- Elevation Grants Make Multiple Homes Safer
- Raising Hope While Lowering Costs
- Recovery is Built Through Partnerships
Oklahoma
- A Plan for All Seasons:Hazard Mitigation Planning helps to Prioritize
- Leadership Breeds Success
- Streams Flow Free for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation
South Carolina
- Medical University Earns High Marks for Low Country Lesson in Disaster Resistance
- Greenville County “Buys Down the Risk” With Property Acquisition Program
- Earning Points Towards Savings: Charleston County’s CRS Efforts Pay Off for Residents
- Higher Standards Mean Lower Flood Insurance Rates for Myrtle Beach Property Owners
Texas
- Weathering the Storm In More Ways Than One Flood Wall Construction in Texas
- Texas Water Development Board Helps Guadalupe County Safeguard Severe Repetitive Loss Properties
- Moving to Higher Ground
- Lower Onion Creek Flood Mitigation Buyout Project Gets Kudos from Homeowners
- Expansive Flood Control Project Safeguards Austin Texas Neighborhood
- Elevation Near Blanco River Survives Historic Flood, Texas
- East Texas Community Sees Far Less Flooding with Construction of Detention Pond
- City of Leon Valley Proactively Protects Citizens
Risk Management
Quick Facts:
- Since 1970, over 1.1 million riverine and coastal miles have been mapped to identify flood hazards, assess flood risks, and provide accurate flood hazard data, which has created more safe and resilient communities.
Success Stories:
Building Science:
In support of FEMA and the NFIP, the Building Science Branch communicates FEMA’s latest findings in disaster risk reduction related to building safety and makes recommendations by engaging in the voluntary consensus-based minimum codes and standards development process. Through this process the Branch has helped ensure minimum model building code requirements meet or exceed floodplain management regulations, which has helped reduce the impact of flooding on private and public structures across the US. Looking back over the course of 50 years, there are a number of significant milestones and achievements that directly support and benefit the NFIP.
For more information visit https://www.fema.gov/building-science, including the flood building code resources (https://www.fema.gov/building-code-resources) which includes documents that provide information concerning the flood resistant provisions of the I-Codes, ASCE 24, and NFIP requirements.
Videos and Other Media
Videos
50 Years of the National Flood Insurance Program (1968-2018)
What do I need to know about flood insurance coverage?
How can I buy flood insurance?
What factors determine how much I pay for flood insurance?
Why do I need to rethink insurance?
Podcasts
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Turns 50