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Opinion: It’s time we act to fix federal flood insurance

We here in rural areas are no strangers to hard times and disasters. Time and time again, we have encountered floods and high waters, and time and time again, we have recovered. We always look toward preparing for the future, knowing that in any season there may be a natural disaster on the horizon. We pray for the best but prepare for the worst.

Bennie Cook
Rep. Bennie Cook

Unfortunately, our federal government has been slow to prepare for these worst-case scenarios, especially when it comes to disaster mitigation policies. Take federal building projects, for example. Despite exorbitant disaster costs and the unprecedented frequency of high waters in recent years, our government continues to focus on 20th-century flood policies and outdated weather patterns when deciding where and how we fund building projects meant to last lifetimes. 

When the government spends billions of dollars on a building project in an area known for flood-risks, the government is basically building on a foundation of sand. We know the likelihood of a disaster coming along and wiping away the project, yet because of outdated models, the government builds there anyway. Then, when the disasters do come, as they eventually will, the investment gets destroyed and the government has to rebuild all over again. This is a losing game for taxpayers and communities around the nation who lose out on limited resources.

 That is why reform is needed. The Flood Resiliency and Taxpayer Savings Act can address these shortcomings by bringing the country’s flood-ready policies into the 21st century by preparing our communities and infrastructure for future floods. The Act modernizes federal practices, requiring federally funded projects to account for future risk of flood throughout a project’s design life. This will safeguard taxpayer dollars by avoiding the needlessly costly cycle of flooding, damage, and repair.

 This is just a commonsense approach to good government and good planning. We should not be paying twice for the same project. Imagine it was your personal domicile you were building — you would want to incorporate risk into deciding when and where to build while also investing a little money today to make sure the structure can withstand disasters tomorrow. The principle is the same with federal projects as it is we, the people, who are paying for it. The Flood Resiliency and Taxpayer Savings Act takes commonsense into account by planning for disasters. 

The Act also ensures that all these new building projects employ modern and innovative building techniques to mitigate damage from disasters. This will save both money in repairs and time in the recovery. We have the tools and equipment to make these structures more resilient so we should be using them in all future projects.

It’s no secret that the government can be slow to adopt best practices, but when the need for reform is so apparent, it’s high time we get a move on. We need to light a fire under Congress’ feet before the water comes up and over our heads again. The Flood Resiliency and Taxpayer Savings Act protects government investments, protects taxpayers, and safeguards our future. It is the modern legislation we need to address the problems of disaster mitigation and recovery.