U.S. Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio recently reintroduced the Flood Insurance Rate Map Interagency Technology or (FIRM IT) Act, which seeks to improve National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) efforts to address floodplain mapping accuracy to help coastal communities nationwide.
“We need to get floodplain mapping right,” Posey, a realtor and member of the House Financial Services Committee, said. “In many cases, we haven’t updated our floodplain maps in 20 years. This proposal will help us do that cheaper, faster, more accurately, and without duplication.”
Under the legislation, the Department of Defense, the US Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would be required to share flood insurance relevant maps with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), providing the most accurate data for flood hazard identification.
“Florida businesses and homeowners rely on FEMA to provide accurate information on their risk for flooding, hence why these maps must be up-to-date and correct,” Rubio said. “This legislation will require FEMA to coordinate with relevant federal agencies to ensure that coastal communities in Florida, and across the nation, have the highest-quality flood maps.”
Posey said the bill would help Floridians by streamlining current agency resources producing similar maps.