Increased Cost of Compliance can help with recovery, deter future damages

As Coloradans learned in September 2013, heavy rains along the Front Range can lead to extensive flooding. And, as many people have learned, recovering from floods can be a difficult task.

Now as the weather warms, state and federal officials are keeping a wary eye on snow melt and the potential for spring rains.

As part of their preparations, officials continue to urge flood insurance policyholders to make sure they understand what provisions are in their coverage. One part of the policy that might be especially important is the Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC).

NFIP policyholders who are rebuilding after 2013 flood may be eligible for up to $30,000 in ICC funds to cover the cost of bringing the home or business into compliance with local floodplain ordinances. ICC coverage is included as a part of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.

To be eligible for ICC coverage, the community floodplain administrator must determine that a building has been “substantially damaged,” or sustained “repetitive damage.”

A building is considered to be substantially damaged when the total cost of repair equals or exceeds 50 percent of its pre-disaster market value.

A building is considered to have sustained repetitive damage when it has been damaged by floods twice over a period of 10 years, and the cost to repair the damage, on average, equals or exceeds 25 percent of its market value at the time of each flood event. This applies only if the participating community has a repetitive loss provision in their floodplain management ordinance, and an insurance claim payment is made for each of the two flood losses. To find out if your community has a repetitive loss provision, contact local officials or your insurance company.

To make an ICC claim, owners may decide to:

• Elevate: Raise a home to or above the flood elevation level adopted by a community;
• Floodproof: Make a building watertight through a combination of adjustments or additions of features to the building that reduces the potential for flood damage;
• Relocate: Move a home out of harm’s way; or
• Demolish: Tear down a flood-damaged building.
• Claims for ICC benefits are filed separately from contents or building loss claims. A claims representative will be assigned to help prepare the ICC claim.

For more information on flood insurance or ICC coverage, visit floodsmart.gov or call 1-888-379-9531. Remember that NFIP policies go into effect 30 days after purchase. The time to buy is now.

Colorado Flood Safety and Wildfire Awareness Week in Review

Colorado has more than its fair share of floods, flash floods, and wildfires. Last year was particularly devastating, with numerous wildfires and many areas experiencing floods. During the past week, in our effort to build a Weather-Ready nation, we have presented information to you on how to stay safe and minimize property damage during flood and wildfire threats.

When a flash flood warning is issued for your area, you need to quickly move to higher ground out of drainages or other low spots. It may be just a short run or climb to that higher ground.

Nearly half of all flash flood fatalities occur in vehicles. Do not drive through a flooded roadway. Instead turn around, do not drown. The water may be much deeper than you think because it may not be possible to see below the surface of flood waters that the roadway has been washed away. One to two feet of water will carry away most vehicles. Additional flood safety information can be found at www.floodsafety.noaa.gov.

Areas burned by wildfires are highly susceptible to flash floods, especially within the first two or three years after the wildfire has occurred. Wildfires by themselves destroy much property and occasionally result in fatalities within Colorado. There are actions you can take to protect yourself and minimize the wildfire threat to your property.

If you live near or within a forest or rangeland you are encouraged to make a defensible space around your home and other structures. Information on how to make a defensible space around your home can be found on the Colorado State Forest Service website at http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/defensible-space.html.

River flooding from snowmelt or persistent rainfall can cause extensive damage to property. There are estimated to be 65,000 homes and 15,000 commercial, industrial and business structures in identified floodplains within Colorado. FEMA has online maps that show if you are in a flood risk area. To access those maps go to https://msc.fema.gov.

If you live in a flood prone area, buying flood insurance is the best thing you can do to protect your home, your business, your family and your financial security. To find an insurance agent and obtain other flood insurance information, go to FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program web site at www.floodsmart.gov.  As a reminder there is generally a 30-day waiting period from the time a flood insurance policy is purchased to when it goes into effect.

Additional information on floods and wildfires is available from your local National Weather Service web sites.

• www.weather.gov/denver
• www.weather.gov/pueblo
• www.weather.gov/goodland
• www.weather.gov/gjt

Preparedness and safety tips are available on floods, wildfires and other hazards in Colorado on the Colorado Division of Homeland Security’s community preparedness website: www.READYColorado.com. Information is also posted daily on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/READYColorado and on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/READYColorado.



This blog was written by Jim Pringle, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, WFO Grand Junction