AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOOD PLAIN MANAGERS
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FLOOD AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
AGENCIES
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION
REINSURANCE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
September 30, 2009
The Honorable Daniel Inouye
Chairman
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
Room S-131, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Thad Cochran
Ranking Member
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
Room S-146A, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Inouye and Ranking Member Cochran,
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we are writing to urge your support for the inclusion
of language to reauthorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Predisaster
Mitigation Program (PDM), National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Severe Repetitive
Loss Program (SRLP) as you finalize H.R. 2892, the FY10 Department of Homeland Security
Appropriation Act. Current authorization for the three programs expires today. Although bills
reauthorizing all three programs have passed the House, they have not been acted on in the
Senate. It is, therefore, necessary to reauthorize them in the appropriations bill, which does
include appropriations for all three programs. We appreciate the short term reauthorizations
which were included in the pending Continuing Resolution.
As the broad based Stafford Act Coalition, each of the undersigned organizations represents
concerned stakeholders from across the nation who are involved at the state and local levels with
disaster planning, disaster response, recovery, and mitigation. As a result, we have long been
strong advocates of programs that mitigate and lessen the impact of disasters in our communities
and have continued our support for the PDM, NFIP and SRLP programs. These programs not
only mitigate the effects of all hazard disasters before an incident, but after as well, and save
taxpayer dollars.
Authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and the
Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K), PDM provides funds to states, territories, Indian
tribal governments, communities, and universities for hazard mitigation planning and the
implementation of mitigation projects prior to a disaster event. Funding these plans and projects
reduces overall risks to the communities, and also reduces reliance on Disaster Relief funds
following actual disaster declarations. In fact, the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council published a
study in 2005 that found for every $1 FEMA invested in mitigation projects, society saves
approximately $4.
The NFIP also serves as an integral pre-disaster flood mitigation and insurance protection
program and reduces the escalating cost of flood disasters, the most costly type of natural
disaster the nation confronts annually. Originally created by the National Flood Insurance Act of
1968, the NFIP enables property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance
protection from the government against losses from flooding. This insurance alternative helps
flood victims to recover more quickly and fully by providing them with much more assistance
than they would receive through disaster relief. Furthermore, because the program requires
participating communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances, it contributes
to reducing loss of life and property due to flooding. Because federally backed lenders must
ensure that properties in a floodplain purchase flood insurance, real estate settlements are
complicated and delayed by any gap in authority for this program.
The SRLP was added to the NFIP in the 2004 National Flood Insurance Reform Act because
significant losses to the National Flood Insurance Fund were attributed to multiple claims filed
after repeated disasters with no steps taken to make the property more flood resistant. That
program, too, will expire today unless action is taken to extend it.
Therefore, we urge you to ensure that language to reauthorize the PDM, NFIP and SRLP
programs is included in the final version of the FY10 Department of Homeland Security
Appropriations Act. We look forward to continuing to work with you to protect lives and
property and to reduce future disaster related costs to the federal government through
comprehensive mitigation.
Sincerely,
AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION
Larry Zensinger
(703) 849-0139
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
Martin Hight
(202)789-7843
ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS
Merrie Inderfurth
(703) 448-0245
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS
Martha Braddock
(703) 644-7082
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES
Dalen Harris
(202) 942-4236
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FLOOD AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
AGENCIES
Susan Gilson
(202) 289-8625
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
Matt Cowles
(202) 624-5459
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
Mitchel Herckis
(202) 626-3124
NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION
Laura Schepis
(703) 907-5829
REINSURANCE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Franklin Nutter
(202) 638-3690
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
David R. Conrad
(202) 797-6697