Message from Jim

Guess who’s turning 50 next year? If you guessed the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), you would be correct! Did you know that in the program’s year of inception, 1968, a year’s tuition at Harvard University was $2,000, a new vehicle cost $2,822, and a new home cost $14,975 (Seek Publishing, n.d)? So for less than $20,000, one could have gone to an Ivy League school for a year, and bought a new house and vehicle. Of course these numbers are approximate, but compared to today’s price tags, the world is now a much more expensive place to live.

In the same passage of time, the NFIP has arguably dealt with higher price tags due to an increase in coastal populations and development. Actually, the program performed very well for much of its existence, meaning flood claims were paid solely from collected premiums, until four major hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) hit Florida in 2004, followed by Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005, making it the costliest year in insurance history. Hurricane Sandy brought flood risk front and center as it brought billions of dollars in insured and uninsured losses to New York City, the nation’s financial (including insurance) engine-room, and one of its two media hubs (NAIC, 2017). Now the program is deeply in debt, the future of its continued reauthorization by Congress is uncertain, and costly storms still continue to occur. Many are now talking about its direction more seriously.

Eventually our government will publish numbers for damages caused by Harvey and Irma, and claims paid, but sadly, these figures will not include values for loss of life, businesses, employment, quality of life, retirements plans, etc. For each storm, this is a never-ending increasing number. Whether or not one believes that sea level rise and climate change is occurring, I think we can all agree on the harsh reality that these large storms are life changing for many people in very tangible ways. We may not be able to control the weather, but there are things that we do have control over that should not be ignored, such as responsible development and planning.

As mentioned in previous messages, many conveniently believe that if not mapped in a high risk flood zone, or if living in an area that hasn’t seen a flood in 100 years, that one is safe from flooding. By understanding causes of flooding, and the many parameters that can increase a flood’s impact, such as continued growth in urban areas, re-thinking this belief is recommended. Urban flooding is caused by the lack of absorption or storage of water in urban areas, largely due to the amount of impervious surface present and insufficient drainage to handle the intensified flow. Urban flooding caused immense damage during Hurricane Harvey due to development in areas which should have remained untouched. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for many to not have a flood insurance policy in place because mandatory purchase is not required. Remember, watershed changes adjacent to a floodplain which may not be reflected in the current flood map, do not change perceived risk, but do change actual risk.

I visited Miami’s South Beach just prior to Hurricane Irma, and was amazed how quickly catch basins along curb lines were coughing water back up into the streets. In a matter of 15 minutes of rain, the drainage infrastructure was at capacity—the water had no place to go! Adding to the increased occurrence of urban flooding is overdevelopment, poor development choices, weak or non-existent regulation, and population increases. Preparedness and mitigation through education must take front and center.

On a lighter note, Harvey and Irma Schluter of Spokane, Washington celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary this past March. But unfortunately, they have watched their names flicker across the television screen with reports of death, destruction and evacuation. “Really sad,” Mrs. Schluter said of the news reports (Bromwich, 2017). Hopefully, unified recovery efforts, positive community engagement, and stronger mitigation strategies will become the more lasting memories from these tragic events.