Hurricane Beryl leaves Texas family without a home (Photo/PBS)
By Karen Stokes
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Wednesday announced finalized rules for the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The standard is a flexible framework to increase resilience against flooding and help protect communities.
The announcement comes weeks after the Biden administration also announced the first-ever federal heat protection standards for workers as the U.S. faces record-breaking temperatures.
Additionally, it arrived shortly after Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane.
The storm brought fierce winds and heavy rain, knocking down trees and power lines, resulting in over 2 million homes and businesses losing power in and around the Houston area.
“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.”
“Climate change has exacerbated flood risk across the country, especially when it comes to sea-level rise. The Biden-Harris Administration is taking action to address these heightened risks by getting this new standard over the finish line,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “FFRMS will allow us to enhance resilience in flood-prone communities by taking future flood risk into consideration when we rebuild structures post-disaster. This is a huge win that will also allow us to end the repeat loss cycles that stem from flooding, increase the safety of families, and save taxpayer dollars.”
This important step will help protect taxpayer-funded projects, including fire and police stations and hospitals, from flood risks and is an integral part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader efforts to enhance climate resilience across the country.
“As climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, President Biden is taking bold action– mobilizing historic investments to protect communities before the storm strikes, upgrade critical infrastructure to reduce vulnerability and risk, and boost our collective capacity to recover quickly after disasters,” said National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “By using common-sense solutions like elevating or flood-proofing critical infrastructure, today’s rule will help local communities harness the best in science and engineering to better prepare for flood risks from rising sea levels and damaging storms.
This rule allows FEMA to consider the best available science in making projects and communities more resilient to increased flood conditions. The standard applies to FEMA-funded actions involving new construction, substantial improvement, or repairs to substantial damage.
FFRMS also applies to Hazard Mitigation Assistance projects involving structure elevation, dry flood-proofing, and mitigation reconstruction. This advances the National Climate Resilience Framework’s goal of building a climate-resilient nation. This higher standard considers both current and future flood risks associated with climate change and other threats.
Finalization of the rule supplements additional actions President Biden announced last week to protect workers and communities from extreme weather. After receiving an operational briefing on extreme weather from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, President Biden announced $1 billion for 656 projects across the country to help communities protect against disasters and natural hazards, including extreme heat, storms, and flooding.
This action is the latest in an all-of-government approach to minimize flood risks and implement the FFRMS. These efforts have included the issuance of a Federal Flood Standard Support Tool (Beta), a FFRMS Standard Floodplain Determination Job Aid, a State of the Science Report on Climate-Informed Science Approach for flood hazards, and implementation of the FFRMS by the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and General Services Administration.
The new standing will be effective beginning Sept 9.