The Federal Emergency Management Agency will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding.
Flood damage is likely to reach $40 billion in average annual losses this decade, according to Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
The history of the new rule demonstrates the complicated politics of managing flood risks, as well as the slow pace of change when it comes to federal agencies.
The proposal generated intense opposition, particularly from homebuilders who warned that new restrictions would lead to higher construction costs, according to Roy Wright, who ran disaster mitigation programs for FEMA at the time.
When President Biden took office, he directed federal agencies to once again set rules to protect the projects they funded in flood zones.
Daniel Kaniewski, a former deputy administrator for resilience at FEMA, said the nearly decade-long process is a reminder that the federal government moves slowly, a challenge when it comes to a climate crisis that is quickly unfolding.
The original article contains 577 words, the summary contains 181 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding.
Flood damage is likely to reach $40 billion in average annual losses this decade, according to Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
The history of the new rule demonstrates the complicated politics of managing flood risks, as well as the slow pace of change when it comes to federal agencies.
The proposal generated intense opposition, particularly from homebuilders who warned that new restrictions would lead to higher construction costs, according to Roy Wright, who ran disaster mitigation programs for FEMA at the time.
When President Biden took office, he directed federal agencies to once again set rules to protect the projects they funded in flood zones.
Daniel Kaniewski, a former deputy administrator for resilience at FEMA, said the nearly decade-long process is a reminder that the federal government moves slowly, a challenge when it comes to a climate crisis that is quickly unfolding.
The original article contains 577 words, the summary contains 181 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!