Dive Brief:

• A policy will soon go into effect that aims to protect federally funded construction projects from heightened flooding caused by climate change, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Wednesday. 
• Starting Sept. 9 new projects and infrastructure rebuilt after a disaster with FEMA funding must be elevated at least 2 feet above the area flood level, using up-to-date data and accounting for likely impacts of climate change, per the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard.
• Previous approaches to addressing flood risk, based on historical data, have become outdated, according to FEMA. The agency said the new policy is a flexible framework that allows it to consider the best available climate science in order to make projects and communities more resilient to flooding. 

Dive Insight:

Floods are the most common of all weather-related natural disasters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and more frequent and intense flooding increasingly threatens lives and structures. This week, Hurricane Beryl battered the Houston area, killing at least four people and inundating roads and neighborhoods.

“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 Mayorkas in the release. “Taking forward-looking, effective steps to increase resilience before disaster strikes will save lives, property, critical infrastructure and taxpayer money.” 

FEMA’s new standards will increase the flood elevation and the floodplain in order to reflect both current and future flood risk. The requirement that jurisdictions account for flooding that is likely to occur in the future under climate change is new.

The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard would affect projects like schools, fire and police stations, sewers, roads and bridges. It applies to FEMA-funded actions involving new construction, substantial improvement or repairs to substantial damage, as well as to Hazard Mitigation Assistance projects involving structure elevation, dry floodproofing and mitigation reconstruction. 

Long-fought rule

First proposed in 2015, the rule marks a victory for engineering, environmental, taxpayer and insurance groups that fought to strengthen building standards in flood-prone areas, according to Scientific American. They argued that the former federal disaster policy encouraged jurisdictions to rebuild public facilities using the same standards that resulted in their destruction in the first place.

The rule will make taxpayer-funded projects far more resilient, protecting federal investments and reducing the risk of damage and loss, according to the release. FEMA officials said the policy will apply to about 35,000 projects over the next 10 years. 

Finalization of the rule complements other actions the Biden administration announced last week — including $1 billion for 656 FEMA projects to help with extreme heat, storms and flooding — in support of its National Climate Resilience Framework.

See article on ConstructionDive.com.