 | Welcome to the Flood Zone is a nationally distributed resource for those interested in flood zone issues, land surveying, real estate, history, and educational opportunities. This newsletter has been proudly featured by the Association of State Floodplain Managers, the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and the Maine and New Hampshire Floodplain Management Programs. Please feel free to share with your friends and colleagues! If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, simply click the unsubscribe link in the footer of this message. | In this Issue of Welcome to the Flood Zone: Maine NFIP Corner: A message from Sue Baker, the State NFIP Coordinator
In the News: "Texas Landlords Don’t Have To Disclose Flood Risk To Renters. A New Bill Would Change That"
Resources: "Moving People Out of Harm’s Way: Property Buyouts" and "Risk Rating 2.0: What ISN'T Changing?"
Climate Corner: "Understanding Sea Level"
NFIP Terminology: Out As Shown Determination
Real Estate Corner: "Flood Factor FAQ" and "How Could Rising Floodwaters Impact Your Home's Value?" Banner Image: Image from "April Showers Bring More Than May Flowers", Muller Insurance | Maine NFIP Corner Sue Baker, CFM, State NFIP Coordinator The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry/Floodplain Management Program recently sponsored a showing of the documentary film "The Last House Standing" at the Maine Building Officials and Inspectors Association conference. The Last House Standing is a documentary film that explores why we continue to place cost over safety while the technology exists to build homes capable of withstanding hurricanes, fires, and tornadoes. From the filmmakers: We have some exciting updates to share. The Last House Standing is going to be available to colleges and universities around the country on the distribution platform Alexander Street. The important message about becoming proactive when it comes to disaster planning will now reach a larger audience of young people. The film continues to roll out on public television stations around the country. We update the schedule regularly on the website. Additionally, you can rent the film or purchase the film for educational use, and if you have a group you’d like to do a screening for or a charity to raise money for, reach out, and let’s discuss how we can be part of your event. We’ve been promoting the film on a number of podcasts and you can check those out on the podcast page on our website. Click here to learn more about "The Last House Standing". |  A neighborhood near Houston’s Addicks Reservoir flooded after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey. Taken, Aug. 29, 2017. Image by David J. Phillip/AP | In the News Texas Landlords Don’t Have To Disclose Flood Risk To Renters. A New Bill Would Change That By: Jen Rice, Houston Public Media, May 3, 2021. In Texas, as in many states, property owners have to disclose flood risk information to home buyers — but not to renters. Landlords currently don't have to tell potential renters if a property flooded in the past, or if it's in an area prone to flooding. That could change with a bill making its way through the Texas legislature. House Bill 531, authored by state Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, would give renters a similar warning. The impact could be enormous, especially in the Houston area, where around half a million renters live in a floodplain, according to research from the Kinder Institute at Rice University. Click here to read the full article. |  Voluntary buyout programs following major flooding events can be funded with assistance from FEMA, which can then be coupled with additional state and local funds. This assistance can defray the costs of buyouts for communities. | Moving People Out of Harm’s Way: Property Buyouts Property buyouts are a means by which communities can remove development from areas vulnerable to flooding by purchasing properties from willing owners. Property buyouts are especially useful after natural disasters to minimize or eliminate future losses of vulnerable or repetitive loss properties. Property buyouts tend to be funded by federal, state, or local funds, and can be used on a variety of scales, from individual homes to entire neighborhoods. Upon purchase, properties are demolished, and the land is often deed restricted, preventing future development. Click here to learn more about property buyouts from "Naturally Resilient Communities". | Risk Rating 2.0: What ISN'T Changing? We've shared information about what kinds of changes to expect under FEMA's new flood insurance rating initiative, which will begin going into effect this October. It's equally important to understand what is not changing. Limiting Annual Premium Increases
Existing statutory limits on rate increases require that most rates not increase more than 18% per year. Using Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Mandatory Purchase and Floodplain Management
FEMA’s flood map data informs the catastrophe models used in the development of rates under Risk Rating 2.0. That is why critical flood mapping data is necessary and essential for communities. It informs floodplain management building requirements and the mandatory purchase requirement. Maintaining Features
FEMA is maintaining features to simplify the transition to Risk Rating 2.0 by offering premium discounts to eligible policyholders. This means: ▪ FEMA will continue to offer premium discounts for Pre-FIRM subsidized, newly mapped and continuous coverage grandfathering.
▪ Policyholders will still be able to transfer their discount to a new owner by assigning their flood insurance policy when their property changes ownership.
▪ And, discounts to policyholders in communities who participate in Community Rating System will continue.
| ▪ | FEMA will continue to offer premium discounts for Pre-FIRM subsidized, newly mapped and continuous coverage grandfathering. | | ▪ | Policyholders will still be able to transfer their discount to a new owner by assigning their flood insurance policy when their property changes ownership. | | ▪ | And, discounts to policyholders in communities who participate in Community Rating System will continue. | Click here to read more from "Risk Rating 2.0: Equity in Action" |  Image from the article, "Climate crisis: Relative sea levels rising ‘up to four times faster’ in coastal cities, due to widespread subsidence". (Independent, 3/8/2021) | Climate Corner Understanding Sea Level NASA: Sea Level Change Observations from Space Earth’s seas are rising, a direct result of a changing climate. Ocean temperatures are increasing, leading to ocean expansion. And as ice sheets and glaciers melt, they add more water. The globally averaged trend toward rising sea levels masks deeper complexities. Regional effects cause sea levels to increase on some parts of the planet, decrease on others, and even to remain relatively flat in a few places. An armada of increasingly sophisticated instruments, deployed across the oceans, on polar ice and in orbit, reveals significant changes among globally interlocking factors that are driving sea levels higher. Click here to learn more about how NASA is monitoring Sea Level Rise, the differences between global and regional rise, and more! | Real Estate Corner Flood Factor FAQ National Association of REALTORS, October 29, 2020 On August 26, 2020, Realtor.com® announced a new property listing feature called Flood Factor™, an online flood risk visualization tool developed by the First Street Foundation. The feature enables consumers to access comprehensive flood data for each listing. Since it is a relatively new resource, NAR has published frequently asked questions and helpful tips on what to do if customers ask you about Flood Factor. Some questions it covers include "how is this information different than what FEMA provides?", "does a property's Flood Factor impact the buyer's mortgage requirements?", and "why does the information from my lender or other sources contradict First Street's estimate of FEMA's flood risk zones?" Click here to learn more! | How Could Rising Floodwaters Impact Your Home's Value? By: Liz Cassin, American Flood Coalition, last updated August, 25, 2020 Property value and flooding have a complex relationship. But with flood risk on the rise in many parts of the U.S., individuals and communities could benefit by understanding this relationship and working together to develop solutions that support homeowners across the country. Click here to read the full blog post. |  Image by Bryant Arnold, August 29, 2017 | | | |
