Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Rule to Increase Resilience Against Flooding Nationwide

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2024-07-10 18:00:14

WASHINGTON -- Today, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today published a Final Rule to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The standard is a flexible framework to increase resilience against flooding and help protect communities.

In recent years, communities have seen repeated flooding that threatens both lives and property. Previous approaches, based on historical data, have become outdated. By using the best available science, FFRMS strengthens FEMA’s standards to incorporate both current and future flood risk, making taxpayer-funded projects far more resilient to flooding, protecting federal investments and reducing the risk of damage and loss from floods. Additionally, FEMA will pay for the applicable federal cost share to implement the FFRMS which is often 75% or more.

“The human and economic cost of flooding is devastating and will only grow in the years ahead as the impacts of climate change grow more intense and reach more communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Taking forward-looking, effective steps to increase resilience before disaster strikes will save lives, property, critical infrastructure and taxpayer money. The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard ensures that FEMA-funded projects meet that mandate. We cannot be passive as climate change threatens the safety and security of the American people and our homeland.”