Rising Waters : The Causes and Consequences of Flooding in the United States

In The Wake Of Hurricane Katrina And The Flooding Of New Orleans In 2005, This Interdisciplinary Book Brings Together Five Years Of Empirical Research Funded By The National Science Foundation. It Explores The Causes Of Flooding In The United States And The Ways In Which Local Communities Can Reduce The Associated Human Casualties And Property Damage. Focussing On Texas And Florida, The Authors Investigate Factors Other Than Rainfall That Determine The Degree Of Flooding, And Consider The Key Role Of Non-structural Techniques And Strategies In Flood Mitigation. The Authors Present An Empirical And Multi-scale Assessment That Underlines The Critical Importance Of Local Planning And Development Decisions. Written For Advanced Students And Researchers In Hazard Mitigation, Hydrology, Geography, Environmental Planning And Public Policy, This Book Will Also Provide Policy Makers, Government Employees And Engineers With Important Insights Into How To Make Their Communities More Resilient To The Adverse Impacts Of Flooding--provided By Publisher. 1. Introduction: Rising Waters -- Part I. The Consequences Of Floods: -- 2. Rising Cost Of Floods In The United States -- 3. Impacts Of Flooding In Coastal Texas And Florida -- 4. National And State Flood Policy Mitigation In The U.s. -- Part Ii. Planning Decisions And Flood Attenuation: -- 5. Identifying The Factors Influencing Flooding And Flood Damage -- 6. The Role Of Wetlands: Federal Policies, Losses And Floods -- 7. Mitigation Strategies And Reduction Of Flood Damages -- 8. Other Factors Influencing Flooding And Flood Damage -- Part Iii. What Are We Learning?: -- 9. Policy Learning For Local Flood Mitigation -- 10. Local Case Studies In Texas And Florida -- Part Iv. Policy Implications And Recommendations: -- 11. Flood Policy Recommendations. Samuel D. Brody, Wesley E. Highfield, Jung Eun Kang. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 11 1 Introduction: rising waters......Page 13 Research questions......Page 15 Study areas: why Texas and Florida......Page 16 Outline of the book......Page 19 Part I: The consequences of floods......Page 21 2 Rising cost of floods in the United States......Page 23 Understanding data on flood losses......Page 24 Human casualties from floods......Page 27 Crop damage and property damage......Page 31 Trends for insured property damage at national and state levels......Page 36 3 Impacts of flooding in coastal Texas and Florida......Page 43 Physical vulnerability to floods in coastal Texas and Florida......Page 44 Casualties......Page 46 Crop and property damage......Page 48 Insured property damage from floods......Page 49 Zip code level analysis of insured property damage......Page 50 Casualties......Page 51 Crop damage and property damage......Page 53 Insured flood damage......Page 55 Zip code-level analysis of insured property damage (2006–2007)......Page 58 Summary......Page 59 The national flood insurance program......Page 68 The community rating system......Page 72 Local planning for flood mitigation......Page 76 Part II: Planning decisions and flood attenuation......Page 81 5 Identifying the factors influencing flooding and flood damage......Page 83 Basin shape......Page 84 Precipitation......Page 85 Impervious surfaces......Page 86 Wetland alterations......Page 88 Development density......Page 89 Housing value and income......Page 90 Population change......Page 91 Flood mitigation techniques......Page 92 Structural approaches......Page 93 Non-structural approaches......Page 94 Organizational capacity......Page 96 Federal wetland policy in the U.S.: Section 404 of the Clean Water Act......Page 100 Implementing Section 404: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers......Page 102 Letters of Permission......Page 103 Nationwide permits......Page 104 Difficulties of wetland mitigation......Page 105 The impact of Section 404......Page 106 Spatial pattern of Section 404 permits in Texas and Florida......Page 107 Section 404, flood damage, and streamflow......Page 110 Summary......Page 114 FEMA’s CRS as a vehicle for local flood mitigation......Page 115 Does the CRS work?......Page 116 Beyond the CRS: examining specific local mitigation techniques......Page 119 Organizational capacity to mitigate flood damage......Page 123 Factors driving flood mitigation strategies: the role of organizational capacity......Page 126 Summary of results......Page 129 Mitigation techniques and flood damage......Page 131 Conclusions......Page 136 Natural environment......Page 142 Human and built environment......Page 144 Socioeconomic factors......Page 145 Political/administrative......Page 147 Summary......Page 150 Part III: What are we learning?......Page 151 9 Policy learning for local flood mitigation......Page 153 Factors influencing flood policy learning......Page 154 Policy learning through comprehensive plans......Page 157 Findings......Page 160 Drivers of change......Page 161 Assessing the FEMA’s CRS: a program in motion......Page 163 Summary......Page 168 Galveston County, Texas......Page 169 Freeport, Texas......Page 172 Manatee County, Florida......Page 174 St. Petersburg, Florida......Page 176 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida......Page 178 Part IV: Policy implications and recommendations......Page 183 Flood regulations should exceed NFIP requirements......Page 185 Avoidance strategies should be considered the first approach to mitigation......Page 186 Naturally occurring wetlands should be considered a flood control device......Page 187 Policies should be embedded into the local regulatory framework......Page 188 The 100-year floodplain should not be the sole driver of management decisions......Page 189 Strong organizational capacity is a key aspect of flood management......Page 190 Improve available data on floods and flood damage in the U.S.......Page 191 12 Conclusions......Page 193 References......Page 195 Index......Page 206 Machine generated contents note: Preface; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction: rising waters; Part I. The Consequences of Floods: 2. Rising cost of floods in the United States; 3. Impacts of flooding in coastal Texas and Florida; 4. National and state flood policy mitigation in the U.S.; Part II. Planning Decisions and Flood Attenuation: 5. Identifying the factors influencing flooding and flood damage; 6. The role of wetlands: federal policies, losses and floods; 7. Mitigation strategies and reduction of flood damages; 8. Other factors influencing flooding and flood damage; Part III. What Are We Learning?: 9. Policy learning for local flood mitigation; 10. Local case studies in Texas and Florida; Part IV. Policy Implications and Recommendations: 11. Flood policy recommendations; 12. Conclusion; References; Index. This interdisciplinary book uses empirical research to explore the causes of flooding in the United States and the ways in which local communities can reduce the associated human casualties and property damage. It is written for advanced students and researchers in hazard mitigation, hydrology, geography, environmental planning and public policy.