Latest Flood Headlines
All the headlines from our Flood Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Nashville Keeps Winning FEMA Flood Appeals
Oct 20 2017 // While Federal Emergency Management Agency denials and reversals have roiled some communities following natural disasters, officials in Tennessee’s capital have been unusually successful at winning their appeals. An...
Renewed Push for Underground Water Storage Projects Sparked by Harvey
Oct 19 2017 // For state Rep. Lyle Larson, Hurricane Harvey was not only a tragedy but also a wasted opportunity. The San Antonio Republican, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, estimates that the amount of rain the storm...
Common Reasons FEMA Denies Disaster Funds
Oct 17 2017 // Local governments and nonprofits trying to recover from major disasters have sometimes learned the hard way that money spent on protective measures, cleanup and rebuilding is not always reimbursed by the U.S....
When Hurricanes Wreak Havoc: An Insurance Agency’s Perspective
Oct 16 2017 // Weathering a storm like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma or Maria requires planning, insurance and grit. In a span of 30 days the devastation from multiple hurricanes impacted millions of American families and businesses. When...
Hiscox Re Offers Private Label Flood Insurance Endorsement for U.S. Insurers
Oct 16 2017 // Bermuda-based reinsurer Hiscox Re, along with insurance linked securities investors (ILS), has launched a flood insurance product for personal lines insurers to sell in the U.S. The turnkey flood insurance product, named...
Get Very Used to Drone Usage in the Insurance Industry
Oct 16 2017 // One major insurance carrier already has a program underway to train claims adjusters to visit accident sites and fly drones to gather data. American Family Insurance started working on developing a drone program around...
Texas Harvey Recovery Czar Says Insurance Industry Needs to ‘Step Up’
Oct 16 2017 // The insurance industry in Texas is not happy with the state’s so-called Hurricane Harvey recovery czar. Texas A&M University Chancellor John Sharp, who was named by Gov. Greg Abbott to lead the Commission to...
Louisiana Governor Unhappy State Was Left Out of Disaster Tax Relief Program
Oct 16 2017 // Gov. John Bel Edwards’ is disappointed that Louisiana has been left out of a federal program providing disaster tax relief to victims of this year’s hurricanes. Edwards said he can’t “wrap my head...
Storm Ophelia Set to Slam Coast of Ireland; Extreme Winds, Flooding Expected
Oct 15 2017 // Irish authorities warned some of the worst weather conditions to hit the country in 50 years will endanger lives, as Storm Ophelia’s remnants batter the coast with “extreme” conditions. Met Eireann, the...
Fitch Ratings: Texas Flood Plan Would Lower Risk to Houston Region Utilities
Oct 13 2017 // The development of a state-wide flood plan by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) would reduce operational risk to both water and sewer utilities, according to Fitch Ratings. If developed, the plan would be the first...
Hurricane-Battered Flood Insurance Program In Need of Funding
Oct 13 2017 // The U.S. National Flood Insurance Program, struggling with the costs of this year’s record hurricane season, will run out of money as early as Oct. 23 unless Congress takes action. The Federal Emergency Management...
House Approves $36.5B Disaster Aid with Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance Funds
Oct 12 2017 // The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved $36.5 billion in emergency relief for hurricane-hit Puerto Rico and other areas that have suffered recent disasters. In addition to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico,...
Developers Built Homes Inside Houston’s Reservoirs. But No One Warned Buyers.
Oct 12 2017 // Note: This story was originally published by the Texas Tribune and ProPublica. When Jeremy Boutor moved to a master-planned community in Houston’s booming energy corridor, he saw it as idyllic. Lakes on Eldridge...
Houston-Area Home Buyouts Part of Flood Mitigation Efforts
Oct 12 2017 // Officials decided Oct. 10 to proceed with two additional programs that would buy out more than 100 Houston-area homes that have repeatedly flooded in recent years, as the region continues its efforts to recover from...
$36.5 Billion House Disaster Aid Bill Includes Funds for Puerto Rico, Wildfires, Flood Insurance
Oct 12 2017 // House lawmakers unveiled a bill Tuesday night that would provide $36.5 billion in emergency funding for hurricane and wildfire relief requested by the Trump administration. With Congress under pressure to provide urgent...
More Work Still Needed to Rebuild West Virginia Town
Oct 10 2017 // It has been two months since heavy rain swelled the waters of Fish Creek and drenched the town of Hundred, West Virginia, and its residents under several feet of water. The night it happened is stuck in the minds of first...
New Flood Maps Coming to Georgia Coast, but Flood Risk Remains
Oct 10 2017 // Experts say a new federal flood map of Glynn County along Georgia’s coast may lower insurance premiums next year – but not the risk of flooding. The updated Flood Insurance Rate Map, drawn by the Federal...
Iowa Officials Seek Federal Approval of Levee Repair Plan
Oct 9 2017 // Officials in western Iowa are worried that $50 million in levee repairs won’t be completed quickly enough to avoid having an area deemed a flood zone, which would require costly insurance coverage. The Federal...
City in Oregon Suing Over Restrictive Flood Map Recommendations
Oct 9 2017 // The city of Coos Bay, Ore. has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the National Marine Fisheries Service over its recommendation for more restrictive floodplain regulations, which would restrict development in most of...
White House $29B Disaster Aid Includes Flood Insurance Changes
Oct 9 2017 // The Trump administration last week asked Congress for $29 billion in disaster aid to cover ongoing hurricane relief and recovery efforts and to pay federal flood insurance claims. The request comes as the government is...
