Structural Mitigation Measures
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Improved floodplain management, including land use planning, zoning, and enforcement at the local level can reduce flood related damages. The use of the NFIP is critical to the reduction of future flood damage costs to the taxpayer. Within floodplain management as a whole, the education process must play an important role. An effective education program should be implemented to show the citizens the importance of building codes and ordinances and how cost effective they could be in reducing future damages.
Structural mitigation measures include retrofitting of structures and acquisitions. The retrofitting of structures prone to periodic flooding is an effective mitigation technique to reduce the flood loss of property. Retrofitting techniques include the elevation of both slab-on-grade and pier-on-beam structures, dry flood proofing, and wet flood proofing. Almost any type and size of structure can be elevated so that the lowest floor is above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). This approach is most cost-effective for buildings other than slab-on-grade structures. Dry flood proofing techniques include the building of floodwalls adjacent to existing walls, the installation of special doors to seal out floodwaters, and special backflow valves for water and sewer lines...