GAO says FEMA reliance on flood maps misses climate risks

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) overreliance on flood map data to determine landowner requirements for purchasing flood insurance increases the government’s financial liability for responding to climate disasters. “Using only FEMA floodplain maps to determine which properties are subject to the mandatory purchase requirement may be limiting consumer participation in the flood insurance market for consumers who face flood risk and may also be increasing federal disaster assistance expenditures,” says a new GAO...