Biden Administration Raises FEMA Bar for Flood Resilience
With a new rule, the agency integrates future as well as current flood risk into standards for construction and repair projects.
A driver plows through floodwaters during a storm in Fontana, California, in February.
Photographer: Kyle Grillot/BloombergThe US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has finalized a rule mandating that projects built using its funds not only take into account previous and current levels of local flood risk, but for the first time consider the future risk of flooding, which is being exacerbated by climate change.
Federal officials said that the updated Federal Flood Risk Management Standard — which will be published Thursday and will go into effect Sept. 9 — is set to make communities more resilient and save taxpayers money by preventing repeat building of vulnerable structures in flood zones. The rule will not affect rates in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.