Gaps in FEMA Flood Maps Leave Rural Communities Exposed to Flooding

Nearing the Anniversary of the July 4 Kerr County Floods, FEMA Flood Maps are Still Letting Millions Down

WASHINGTON, DC - Across the country, communities rely on flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to inform flooding risks and mitigation efforts, but new reporting from the Associated Press revealed yesterday that gaps in FEMA’s current maps have left rural communities underprotected from increasing climate disasters. In Michigan, recent flooding exposed the shortfalls of outdated maps when residents were overwhelmed and underprepared. Likewise, during the July 4th Kerr County floods in Texas last year, outdated flood maps failed to capture the risk of flooding in the nearby river. Those maps have yet to be updated. 

“FEMA is underfunded and understaffed,” said Rafael Lemaitre, Sabotaging Our Safety Advisory Council member. “We are seeing the impacts in real time as communities grapple with threats they didn’t even know were around the corner. The Trump administration must take FEMA funding seriously so that the agency can meet the needs of the American public. The crisis is growing along with climate-driven disasters. It’s crucial that people are properly prepared.” 

Per the analysis, four times more Michigan homes are at risk of flooding than FEMA estimates. The current maps focus on nearby bodies of water, and fail to account for flooding caused by overwhelming rainfall and storms. With an increase in climate-driven disasters and shifting weather patterns, many are unaware of the risks posed. 

Experts note that recent FEMA staffing and budget cuts driven by the Trump administration are making matters worse. Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers estimates that it would cost FEMA between $4 and $12 billion to fully update the maps—funds that are unlikely to reach communities as the Trump administration proposes to cut FEMA funding by $1.3 billion. 

###