FEMA’s flood maps lies mainly

Federal Insurance Prices for Emergency Management (FEMA), often referred to as flood maps, a plan The risk of flooding. Maps are essential to determine the need for flood insurance, construction restrictions, flood management, and risk relief. There is only one problem –75 % From old Fema maps.

Writing to ConversationJeremy Porter, a New York city researcher who studies the risk maps fee in the non -profit organization, is arguing that excessive dependence on maps of historical data and the lack of an impact of climate change is partially blame. After she claimed horrific flash floods more than 100 life In CARE province in Texas in July, including children In a summer camp, the improper effects of flood maps in public safety are again in the spotlight.

“Although Fema has improved accuracy and access to maps over time with better data, digital tools and the insertion of society, maps still not pick up everything – including the changing climate,” Porter Books. “There are areas in the country flowing, some of which are regularly, do not appear on maps at risk.”

Specifically, the rating of 2023 of the First Street, which runs the financial modeling of climate risk, open More than twice of property in the United States was at risk of a 100 -year flood (a flood It has a 1 % chance in any year) from that shown in FEMA maps. In the case of CARE Province, First Street It was identified More than 4,500 homes are at risk of floods near the Guadalobi River. According to Fema data, however, it was only 2,560.

This means that people in areas not listed in official flooding risk areas may not only be not believers, but they are also tragicly not ready.

According to Porter, one of the problems is that maps focus on river channels and coastal floods mostly without taking sudden floods, specifically in areas that contain smaller water channels. This is especially noticeable in the context of climate change and global warming, which sees a warmer air that carries more moisture, which translates into more maximum Rating storms.

Another issue is the conflict of interest. like NBC News This was reported, it is common for real estate owners to perform their flood risk analyzes and then seam to change the appointment of the flood area accordingly.

“One of the Fema problems is that it seems negotiable instead of experimental understanding or science -based,” Porter told NBC News. “It is based on the ability to create an engineering study and negotiate with Fema.”

If you think most people ask the agency to designate its area as a high risk of floods so that they can prepare better, it is likely that you put a greater belief in humanity than we deserve. The fact is that the official flooding areas can mean expensive flood insurance obligations, low property values, and the most stringent construction regulations.

What’s more, “Congress controls the FEMA appointment budget and determines the legal framework for how to create maps. For years, the flood maps updating a subject was unpopular among many officials elected to the public, because new flood labels can lead to tougher construction codes, insurance costs and development restrictions,” Porter explained in this conversation.

With President Trump, who is likely to be “remakeFema, it remains to see what is a storehouse for the agency’s future and what this means for American life.