FEMA Suspends Flood Rebuilding Standard

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will stop enforcing a rule finalized last year that requires buildings receiving public assistance to be built to withstand future flood risk, whether that means relocating or elevating the building or otherwise mitigating the risk.

The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard is designed to discourage construction in areas at risk for repeated flooding, explains Robert Freedman in Smart Cities Dive. According to FEMA, “it requires agencies to determine specific federal building or project dimensions – that is, how high and how wide and how expansive a building or project should be – in order to manage and mitigate any current or potential flood risks.”

The rule is suspended while the new department leadership decides whether it should be revoked or amended. “Legal scholars say FEMA is inviting a challenge on whether it has the authority not to enforce the rule while it’s under review.”