New Tool Reveals Repeated Flooding at Properties Around the U.S.

A new tool from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) maps properties that experience repeated flooding around the U.S. NRDC found more than 250,000 properties in the country have made multiple insurance claims under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The tool and report, called Flooded Again, maps out areas with the highest repetitive loss properties (RLPs). According to the data, there are currently more than 252,000 RLPs in 54 states and territories, with Texas and Louisiana ranking as states with some of the highest RLPs in the nation. Each of these two states had more than 40,000 recorded RLPs. In total, Louisiana, Texas, Florida and New York make up over half of all RLPs in the U.S.

“We are seeing more and more homes damaged by floods because of the climate crisis combined with risky development and out-of-date infrastructure,” Anna Weber, senior policy analyst at NRDC and co-author of the Flooded Again report, said in a statement. “Stronger hurricanes, more intense rainstorms and rising seas are all enacting a toll on people’s lives. We need changes at all levels of government to make communities safer.”

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), properties may be considered RLPs if they had either two claims for more than $1,000 per claim in 10 years or if there had been at least two claims for an average amount equaling 25% or more of the value of the building.

However, NRDC pointed out that its mapping tool only accounts for insured properties with flooding damage claims. In a 2020 report, the Society of Actuaries estimated that flood losses for single-family residences cost more than $7 billion per year, with more than 87% of losses not covered by NFIP.

“Many homeowners assume that standard home insurance covers flood damage, but that’s rarely the case,” explains Kristi Ware, licensed insurance producer and Sales Manager at Guardian Service, an auto and home insurance agency. “With more than a quarter of a million properties suffering repeat flood losses, the real question is: how many of those homeowners thought they were protected—only to realize too late that they weren’t?”

NRDC also found that few RLPs undergo resiliency upgrades to mitigate flood risks. 

In response to the findings, NRDC is calling on FEMA and the U.S. Congress to establish policies to better protect people from flooding, whether or not they have insurance. NRDC called on FEMA to update national floodplain development standards to prevent developing in flood-prone areas and to prepare for worsening floods; update maps for flood risks by taking climate change into consideration for these maps; make flood insurance more affordable; and make flood risk knowledge a right for anyone buying or renting a home.

“Too many communities are repeatedly inundated with floodwaters, and long-overdue federal action means people across the country continue to face the dangerous, costly, and disruptive effects of floods,” Weber said. “The good news is that we have the tools to reduce harm from the impact of storms and rising seas. Congress and FEMA just need to put them into action.”