By Christine Donnelly, Star Advertiser https://twitter.com/HawaiiFloodPlan/status/1141135620883922946
Waimea and Hanapepe Open Houses; Questions On Preliminary Flood Maps Answered
Editorial By: Eric Simmons, FEMA RIX Kauai County, DLNR and FEMA held two open houses to help homeowners and community members understand how they are affected by proposed flood zone changes. The public meetings on May 21 and 22 were well attended with a lot of interest on the preliminary flood maps. As approximately 400... Continue Reading →
Reminder: Meetings in West Kauai regarding FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map Changes
About a month ago we posted about two important public informational meeting regarding the de-accreditation of the Hanapepe and Waimea Rivers that were being planned for Kauai property and business owners. Well we hope that you have already put it in your calendar, if not, this is just a reminder that the two informational meetings... Continue Reading →
Modifications of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
Feature Image Credit: Mark Sullivan Contributing Author: Eric Simmons, FEMA RIX All communities participating in the NFIP (including Honolulu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island) were recently sent an awareness letter on the Endangered Species Act (ESA). ESA compliance documentation has been required by FEMA for conditional letter requests for almost 10 years. FEMA released... Continue Reading →
Waimea and Hanapepe Property Owners May Be Faced with Mandatory Flood Insurance Requirements
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has determined the Waimea and Hanapepe levees on Kaua‘i do not provide a high level of protection and are to be de-accredited. New preliminary flood maps, effective in 2020 show areas behind the Waimea and Hanapepe levees to be in a high-risk flood zone The DLNR Engineering Division, FEMA... Continue Reading →
The Benefits of Flood Insurance Versus Disaster Assistance
Only flood insurance covers flood damage. Without it, your recovery options are limited and costly. Your recovery will depend on your savings, your line of credit or the hope that a federal disaster declaration may make State/Federal disaster-related grants and/or U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest loans available.If you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area... Continue Reading →
National Flood Insurance Program: Re-authorization UPDATE 2019
Congress must periodically renew the National Flood Insurance Program’s statutory authority to operate. On December 21, 2018, the President signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to May 31, 2019. NFIP re-authorization is an opportunity for Congress to take bold steps to reduce the complexity of the program... Continue Reading →
FLOOD AFTER FIRE
Wildfires change the landscape, destroying root structure and creating top soil that could repel water instead of absorbing it. Debris flows and mudflows can occur up to five years after a wildfire. Debris flows can take homes off their foundations and can carry things like vegetation, trees, large boulders and vehicles. Mudflows on the other... Continue Reading →
Insurance against Extreme Events: Pairing Short-Term Incentives with Long-Term Strategies
Why do insurance companies classify certain types of risk as uninsurable? And why do insurance regulators prohibit insurers from setting premiums that reflect risk, particularly in locales that repeatedly suffer losses from natural disasters? The short answer is that insurance today is misunderstood and hence is not effectively meeting its most important objectives—to inform those... Continue Reading →