In a recent interview, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell urged homeowners near water to buy flood insurance.
As climate change worsens, it is almost a guarantee that instances and severity of flooding will only get worse. This is incredibly important for residents of a state like Maryland whose most defining feature is a massive body of water. In an interview of the weekend, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell cited this reality and urged homeowners near water to buy flood insurance.
According to Politico:
“If you live near water, or where it rains, it can certainly flood,” Criswell said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” adding: “Just because you’re not required to buy flood insurance doesn’t mean you don’t have the option to buy it.”
As storms become more powerful, areas near the water that traditionally believed they were safe may now be in danger. There is little reason to believe that the devastation currently impacting Florida will not one day visit Maryland.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is managed by the FEMA and is delivered to the public by a network of more than 50 insurance companies and the NFIP Direct. The NFIP provides flood insurance to property owners, renters and businesses, and having this coverage helps them recover faster when floodwaters recede. The NFIP works with communities required to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations that help mitigate flooding effects.
