Expert Witness Blog

In THE PERFECT STORM: The Science Behind Subrogating Catastrophic Flood Losses, hydrology expert witness Richard Van Bruggen writes:

Federal flood insurance was first made available in 1968 through the enactment
of the National Flood Insurance Act.4 Prior to this program, affordable private
flood insurance was generally not available. Under the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP), federally subsidized flood insurance is made available to
owners of flood-prone property in participating communities. These participating
communities are required to adopt certain minimum floodplain management
standards and programs, including restrictions on new developments and
designated floodways, a requirement that new structures in the 100-year flood
zone be elevated to or above the 100-year flood level5, and a requirement that
subdivisions are designed to minimize exposure to flood hazards. For highhazard
coastal zones, additional standards are imposed, sometimes including
the requirement that buildings be elevated on pilings and that the Base Flood
Elevation (BFE) include potential wave heights.