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The Federal Emergency Management Agency Can Reduce Mapping Cost

RCED-83-163 Published: Jun 23, 1983. Publicly Released: Jun 23, 1983.
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Highlights

GAO reviewed how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) selects the method to map communities for entry into the National Flood Insurance Program and whether it is possible to expedite the conversion of the remaining communities without costly and time-consuming detailed mapping.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Director, FEMA, should develop a systematic approach which: (1) emphasizes developmental potential in determining which mapping approach to use; (2) incorporates other mapping approaches into the decisionmaking process; (3) weighs the added flood plain management data in a detailed map against the map's cost and the community's developmental potential; and (4) makes appropriate mapping decisions on the basis of this information.
Closed – Implemented
FEMA has developed a systematic approach for making mapping decisions, and its plan is contained in a September 1984 report to Congress. According to this report, FEMA projects savings of about $193 million that result from the adoption of the plan recommended by GAO.

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Topics

Cost controlEmergency managementEmergency preparednessFlood insuranceFloodsImpacted area programsSite selectionMapsInsurance coverageEngineering