Unified Natural Hazard Management: Lessons from Flooding

In the United States, authority for flood loss reduction programs is fragmented among thousands of federal, state, local and private sector entities. Experience of the National Flood Insurance Program, has demonstrated the merit of pursuing a unified national program to coordinate the activities of these entities. This experience is applicable to the mitigation of earthquake and hurricane hazards which are often geographically coincident with flood hazards. Lessons from flood experience suggest that the coordination of standards and application of technology are insufficient to achieve unified natural hazards management. In addition, national goals are essential to provide focus and cultural values must be explicitly recognized and accommodated or modified.