Media Tip Sheets

That 100-year flooding…happening now

Monday, August 23, 2021, By Lily Datz

Hurricanes and higher-than-normal rainfall has flooded communities and left homes and businesses destroyed.

But many of these areas have never been considered part of the floodplain so this means more homeowners – both coastal and inland – are facing catastrophic flooding due to climate change and extreme weather conditions. These homeowners need to either take on the additional costs of flood insurance or risk losing their house due to flooding that isn’t covered by regular home insurance.

Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science in the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, has been studying the issues around climate change, increases in flood risk, and the impact it is having in communities throughout the US.

“As flooding continues to occur, maintaining accurate flood maps and risk‐based pricing will continue to be an important task for the National Flood Insurance Program. Balancing flood hazard with equity and fairness in preparation, exposure, and recovery are now important conversations for the NFIP as the risks and costs of floods increase in the United States. As climate change intensifies flood risk, we must be alert to the equity implications of the national flood insurance program so that it does not exacerbate existing inequalities,” said Pralle.

Pralle is the author of the paper, “Drawing Lines: FEMA and the politics of mapping flood zones,” which examines the politics of mapping flood zones and the focus on costs rather than risk, equity, and fairness when it comes to flood insurance.

Her latest article (co-authored with Devin Lea), “To appeal and amend: Changes to recently updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps,” examines how official flood zones across the U.S. are altered and by whom, finding evidence that wealthier and whiter communities are more able to challenge flood maps in their communities and potentially save themselves the cost of flood insurance.

Please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of media relations, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551 if you would like an interview with Professor Pralle.