Flood Risk
Floodplain Development Largely Concentrated in Gulf Coast States
Many U.S. cities use ‘routine’ practices like zoning changes and permitting to discourage development in high-risk flood zones.
Planning for Future Floods
New climate and flood models are needed to understand growing flood risks.
Texas Adopts Statewide Flood Plan
The plan outlines thousands of suggestions for mitigating flood risk, which pose a threat in all of the state’s planning regions.
FEMA Rule Calls for Updated Flood Modeling
Agency-funded projects will be required to be elevated at least 2 feet above the projected local flood level.
Florida Home Sellers Must Disclose Flood History Under New Law
Prior to the new law, the Sunshine State was one of 18 states that did not require flood disclosure as part of the home selling process.
Washington State Requests Federal Funding for Tsunami Preparedness
The state’s Department of Natural Resources says it needs continued funding to map coastal areas at risk for tsunami impacts and prepare mitigation and evacuation plans.
Assessing Houston’s ‘Climate Abandonment Areas’
Most of the census tracts designated at high risk of flooding are in less affluent neighborhoods.
Kaua’i County Uses Long-Range Models to Mandate Resiliency Standards
The county requires builders to assess potential flood risks using models that account for sea level rise projected as far out as 2100.
Looking for a Beach House? Check Your Risk First.
A new report from the insurance industry names the historic town of Galveston, Texas as the riskiest place to buy a beach house in the United States.
Study: FEMA Buyout Program Could be Accelerating Segregation
A new analysis of the relocation patterns of households that participate in FEMA’s flood buyout program reveals a pattern of increased racial segregation.
Houston-Area Flood Insurance Costs Eat Into Region's Affordability
A reorganization of FEMA’s flood insurance program will mean increases in insurance costs for coastal homeowners.
U.S. Houses Facing Increased Flood Risk Overvalued by as Much as $237 Billion, Study Says
Housing markets are failing to price in climate risks in their assessment of housing values, according to a recent study published by Nature.
L.A. County Calls for Flood Control Improvements
Recently revealed estimates put far more people in the region at risk for catastrophic flooding than previously thought.
The True Scale of Flood Hazard Facing Los Angeles
New research sheds light on how L.A.’s aging and poorly maintained infrastructure is putting hundreds of thousands more residents in flood hazard zones than previously estimated.
Access to Flood Risk Data Shifts Homebuyer Behavior
With climate risks threatening more communities, providing clear, accessible risk information to potential homebuyers can help households make informed decisions and inform local resiliency efforts.
Wastewater System Upgrade Plans Already Out of Date
Some Midwest cities' plans to upgrade decades-old sewer systems rely on outdated rainfall predictions as flood risks grow due to climate change and shifting weather patterns.
FEMA Flood Insurance Updates Reflect Actual Risk to Each Home
Changes to how FEMA calculates flood risk will assess risk at a home-by-home level, rather than estimating the same risk to all homes in the same floodplain.
NPR: HUD Sells Flood-Prone Homes Without Disclosing Risks
The troubling trend is particularly pronounced in lower-income communities, where experts worry households are being inadvertently set up for big financial losses.
Most Americans Unaware of Flood Risks, Study Finds
The lack of disclosure laws in most states has led to an overvaluation of homes located in floodplains across the country.
Proposed Citywide Rezoning Would Layer Resilience in New York City
With 520 miles of coastline, New York City is ready to implement the lessons of Hurricane Sandy in the zoning code for the entire city.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of El Paso
Ada County Highway District
Placer County
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Portland, ME
Baton Rouge Area Foundation
