Eastern Region Coastal Flood Page weather.gov - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from weather.gov Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Commonwealth submits $326M in pre-disaster grants for Virginia localities
Published Monday, Apr. 19, 2021, 8:15 pm
Join AFP s 100,000+ followers on Facebook
Purchase a subscription to AFP
Subscribe to AFP podcasts on iTunes and Spotify
News, press releases, letters to the editor: augustafreepress2@gmail.com
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management announced that 53 hazard mitigation project applications were submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under two grant programs.
These projects total over $326 million and demonstrates the increased interest in taking pre-disaster actions to reduce risk from future disasters
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
The BRIC grant program prioritizes project applications that reduce the risk states, local communities, and tribes face from disasters and natural hazards. BRIC is a new FEMA pre-disaster hazard mitigation program that replaces the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program. The guiding prin
Homeowners Now Have a Cheaper Option for Flood Insurance
Homeowners Now Have a Cheaper Option for Flood Insurance
Private flood insurance has been around only since 2019.
Photo by Roschetzky Photography / Shutterstock.com
For decades, there was little choice when it came to buying flood insurance: All policies were written by the federal National Flood Insurance Program.
Now private policies offer a second option that, despite a few drawbacks, provides flood coverage that can be less expensive for many homeowners.
Private policies aren’t perfect. For one, they’re less dependable than federal policies. Where the NFIP guarantees renewal of its policies, a private insurer may elect not to renew a policy or even to cancel it.
The Build for Future Disasters Act of 2021, reintroduced by Representatives Andy Barr and Scott Peters, would mean NFIP rates reflect up-to-date flood information for properties built from 2025.
These new constructions would not qualify for a subsidy, while structures built before 2025 in flood zones or re-mapped into flood zones would still be eligible for grandfathering subsidies.
The bill also requires the U.S. Government Accountability Office to study the feasibility and implications of lowering all subsidies, with the aim of reducing the taxpayer burden and stopping the growth of government risk.
“A guiding principle of the Federal government’s natural disaster policy should be to protect the American taxpayer by managing the nation’s escalating natural disaster risks, reducing those risks over the long-term, and promoting environmental stewardship,” said Frank Nutter, President of the RAA.
Louisiana Bills Promote Private Flood Insurance, Target Staged Accidents April 20, 2021
Louisiana insurance regulators have proposed separate pieces of legislation that would promote the writing of private flood insurance in the state and increase penalties associated with staged auto accidents. A third bill would expand the authority of the insurance commissioner to react in emergency situations.
Private Flood
The Louisiana Department of Insurance said House Bill 577, authored by Rep. Scott McKnight, would expand flood insurance choices for consumers beyond the National Flood Insurance Program and make it easier for private carriers to write flood insurance in Louisiana.
Under HB577, insurers could subsequently adopt new rates provided they file change paperwork with the LDI within 30 days of use. This hybrid “file and use” and “use and file” system for private flood insurance would last until Jan. 1, 2027, at which point it would rev