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What
is Floodplain Management?
Floodplain
management
promotes
corrective
and
preventative
measures
for
reducing
flood
damage
at
the
community
level.
These
measures
take
a
variety
of
forms
and
generally
include
preparing
a
special-purpose
floodplain
ordinance
and
flood
mitigation
plan.
Ideally,
a
local
flood
mitigation
program
ties
in
zoning,
subdivision,
and
building
codes.
Before
the
creation
of
the
NFIP,
floodplain
management
as
a
practice
was
not
well
established
-
only
a
few
states
and
communities
actually
regulated
floodplain
development.
For
many
Alaska
communities,
the
NFIP
was
the
community's
first
exposure
to
land
use
planning
and
land
use
regulations.
A
community's
agreement
to
adopt
and
enforce
floodplain
management
ordinances,
particularly
with
respect
to
new
construction
is
an
important
element
in
making
flood
insurance
available
to
home
and
business
owners.
Currently
over
20,000
communities
voluntarily
adopt
and
enforce
local
floodplain
ordinances
that
provide
flood
loss
reduction
building
standards
for
new and
existing
development.
More
than
85
percent
of
the
state's
population
reside
in
a
city
or
borough
that
participates
in
the
NFIP.
Who
should be covered by flood insurance?
Everyone
living
or
doing
business
within
the
flood
plain
or
that
have
a
risk
of
tsunami,
mudslide,
or
flood-related
erosion
damage.
All
homeowners,
renters,
and
businesses
in
areas
vulnerable
to
flooding
should
consider
purchasing
flood
insurance.
Unfortunately,
most
people
don't
think
of
flood
insurance
until
after
the
flood
has
occurred - at
this
point
it
is
too
late.
What
authority and responsibility
does the local governing body
have for floodplain management?
State
law
(see
the
applicable
laws
section
of
this
chapter)
authorizes
local
government
to
regulate
land
use
and
establish
the
process
whereby
land
use
regulations
will
be
enforced.
Communities
that
participate
in
the
NFIP,
in
addition
to
other
requirements,
agree
to:
- Adopt
and enforce a flood damage prevention
ordinance,
- Require
permits for development within
the floodplain and assure that
building sites are reasonably
safe from flooding,
- Determine
flood level,
- Require
that structures be elevated above
flood level,
- Conduct
field inspections, and
- Advise
FEMA when flood map updates are
needed.
How
do I know if the community I
live in is in the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP)?
The
Division of Community and Regional Affairs
(DCRA)
maintains
a website with
a list of
communities
that
have
flood
insurance.
Participation
in
the
NFIP
is
voluntary.
Contact
the
appropriate
local
government
office
or
local
planning
office
in
your
community
to
find
out
what
the
community's
status
is
regarding
the
National
Flood
Insurance
program.
Is
federal flood insurance available
in the Unorganized Borough?
No.
Federal
flood
insurance
may
be
available
within
the
city
limits
of
a
participating
city
in
the
Unorganized
Borough,
but
not
outside
of
an
incorporated
city
in
the
Unorganized
Borough.
In
order
to
adopt
and
enforce
land
use
regulations
there
has
to
be
an
identified
entity
to
enact
and
enforce the
regulations. AS 29.03.020 allows
the
Alaska
Legislature
to
establish
service
areas
for
land
use
regulation
and
other
purposes
in
the
Unorganized
Borough
but
so
far
this
has
not
been
done.
If
the community I live in is not
in the NFIP how do we join?
Your
local
governing
body
must
pass
a
resolution
authorizing
participation
in
the
NFIP.
The
governing
body
must
also
complete
a
one-page
application
and
adopt
a
local
ordinance
that
contains
protective
floodplain
development
standards
that
must
be
sent
to
the
Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency,
Region
X
in
Bothell,
WA
for
review and
approval.
Contact
the
NFIP State
Coordinator
with
the
Department
of
Commerce,
Community,
and
Economic
Development,
Division of Community and Regional Affairs
at
(907)
269-4567
for
assistance.
Why
does my community have to adopt
an ordinance to join the NFIP?
The
NFIP
is
based
upon
an
agreement
between
the
federal
government
and
a
community
that
if
the
community
manages
development
that
may
occur
in
hazard
prone
areas
then
flood
insurance
can
be
available.
The
reasoning
is
that
if
a
community
does
its
part
to
reduce
future
flood
damages
-
by
adopting
a
protective
land
use
ordinance
and
issuing
and
reviewing
permits
for
development
-
then
the
community
is
allowed
the
opportunity
for
its
citizens
to
purchase
flood
insurance.
If
a community agrees to adopt an
ordinance governing development
in a floodplain area and joins
the NFIP, how does community
staff go about enforcing the
ordinance?
Staff
from
the
Division of Community and Regional Affairs
and
occasionally
FEMA's
regional
office
are
available
to
conduct
visits
to
the
community
and
explain
the
technical
details
of
the
ordinance.
Also,
workshops
are
available
as
well
as
publications.
Contact Division of Community and Regional Affairs
for
information
on
what
technical
assistance
is
available.
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