Flood maps also provide the basis for setting insurance rates and  identifying properties whose owners are required to purchase flood  insurance. Map Modernization Intends to Use Advanced Technologies to Produce More Accurate and Accessible Digital Flood Maps

Through map modernization, FEMA intends to produce more accurate and  accessible flood maps by using advanced technology to gather accurate  data and make the resulting information available on the Internet. As a result, nearly  70 percent of the nation’s approximately 92,222 flood maps are more than  10 years old and many of these maps reflect inaccurate data, according to  FEMA. In developing the new data system to update flood maps across the nation,  FEMA’s intent is to develop and incorporate flood risk data that are of a  level of specificity and accuracy commensurate with communities’ relative  flood risks. According to FEMA, there is a direct relationship between the  types, quantity, and detail of the data and analysis used for map  development and the costs associated with obtaining and analyzing those  data. FEMA has ranked all 3,146 counties from highest to lowest based on a  number of factors, including, among other things, population, growth  trends, housing units, flood insurance policies and claims, repetitive loss  properties, and flood disasters. However, FEMA has not yet established  standards on the appropriate data and level of analysis required to develop  maps based on risk level. Without establishing standards for  different categories of risk, FEMA cannot ensure that it uses the same  level of data collection and analysis across all communities within the  same risk category. FEMA intends to use  these state business plans to help prioritize its continuing efforts to  develop map modernization partners. FEMA has  not yet developed a strategy for how to partner with communities that do  not have the resources, capabilities, or motivation to initiate and sustain  mapping activities. Such standards can also  help FEMA to target its map modernization resources more efficiently by  matching the level of data collection and analysis with the level of flood  risk. Similarly, by developing strategies for partnering with state, and local  flood management stakeholders with lower levels of capabilities and  resources, FEMA will be better able to leverage available resources and  identify the most effective approaches to engaging its partners in the  remapping process. Recommendations

To help ensure that FEMA’s map modernization achieves the intended  benefits of improved flood mitigation, increased flood insurance  participation, and improved multi-hazard mitigation and risk management  capabilities through the production of more accurate and accessible flood  maps, we recommend that the Secretary of Homeland Security direct the  Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response to take the  following four actions:    Develop and implement data standards that will enable FEMA, its  contractor, and its state and local partners to identify and use  consistent data collection and analysis methods for communities with  similar risk.
Why GAO Did This Study

Flood maps identify areas at greatest risk of flooding and provide the foundation for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The maps are used by (1) communities to establish minimum building standards designed to reduce the impact of flooding, (2) FEMA to set insurance rates, and (3) lenders to identify property owners who are required to purchase flood insurance. Nearly 70 percent of all flood maps are more than 10 years old, according to FEMA. In an effort to update its flood maps, FEMA is implementing a $1 billion, 5-year map modernization program. GAO was asked to review the progress of FEMA's map modernization program.

What GAO Found

Through its map modernization program, FEMA intends to use advanced technologies to produce more accurate and accessible digital flood maps available on the Internet. These maps are expected to improve community efforts to reduce the impact of floods, increase property owners' use of flood insurance, and improve community, state and federal efforts to reduce the risks of other natural and man-made hazards. In developing digital flood maps, FEMA plans to incorporate data that are of a level of specificity and accuracy commensurate with communities' relative flood risk. According to FEMA, there is a direct relationship between the types, quantity, and detail of the data and analysis used to develop maps and the costs of obtaining and analyzing those data. Although FEMA ranked the nation's 3,146 counties from highest to lowest risk, it has not yet established data standards that describe the appropriate level of detail, accuracy, and analysis required to develop digital maps based on risk level. Without such standards, FEMA cannot ensure that it uses the same level of data collection and analysis for all communities in the same risk category. Such standards can also help FEMA to target its map modernization resources more efficiently by matching the level of data collection and analysis with the level of flood risk. FEMA has developed partnerships with states and local entities that have begun mapping activities and has a strategy on how to best work with these entities. However, the overall effectiveness of FEMA's future partnering efforts is uncertain because FEMA has not yet developed a clear strategy for partnering with communities with less resources and little or no experience in flood mapping. By developing such a strategy, FEMA will be better able to identify and use the most effective approaches to engage all of its partners in map modernization.