Flooding is the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Floods caused more than $4 billion in damages annually during the 1990’s. Florida is especially vulnerable to flood disasters because of its 1,350 miles of coastline, countless rivers and abundant floodplain areas. Public awareness of the flood threat in Florida is evident as Florida residents and businesses now hold more than 40 percent of all flood insurance policies in the nation.

Blueprint for Safety disaster-resistant flood recommendations are derived from the federal National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to allow consumers to enjoy maximum benefit from any potential discounts, credits or program eligibility. The best way to combat a flood disaster is during the planning stage of new construction. Blueprint recommends an evaluation and inspection of the lot prior to construction to determine the flood zone and the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). BFE refers to the elevation associated with the “100-year flood”, or a flood with a 1% chance of occurrence in any given year. The “100-year flood” patterns form the basis for the NFIP flood insurance rates and regulatory floodplain management. Several retrofit options are available and highlighted in this chapter. Blueprint recommends that before any construction begins, the listed recommended pre-reading documents are obtained.

Detailed information regarding flood-resistant construction techniques is available from several sources including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Publication #312 Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting: Six Ways to Protect Your House from Flooding and Publication #55 Coastal Construction Manual both available at www.fema.gov, the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) publications, Retrofitting and Flood Mitigation in Florida, available at www.floridadisaster.org and the Florida Unified Building Code available at http://www.floridabuilding.org/bc/default.asp.