Since Congress created it in 1968, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has helped provide affordable flood insurance to millions of people. The program was designed as both a carrot and as a stick: while it allows many to purchase relatively inexpensive flood insurance, it requires communities to adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks to new construction in designated hazardous areas.
While its many detractors argue that the availability of “cheap” flood insurance has pushed development into areas that would otherwise be considered too risky, proponents argue that because of accompanying ordinances, it’s actually been “one of the most cost-effective hazard mitigation programs in history” (PDF).
No matter what you think, FEMA wants to know. In their words:
“FEMA is always striving to improve our programs and as part of that effort, we are currently gathering feedback from National Flood Insurance Program stakeholders to gain input on the challenges related to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and possible solutions to those challenges.”
They’re accepting comments until through the first week in December, and you can share yours directly on their special Community and Stakeholder Input page. If you have other thoughts you’d rather post here, you can sound out in the comments below.