Floods and Water Damage in New Smyrna Beach- How FEMA Responds

10/7/2015 (Permalink)

When there are large-scale disasters at a national level, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for coordinating the response.

How FEMA Responds to Floods and Flood Damage in New Smyrna Beach

Anyone who lives near a coastal town like New Smyrna Beach or a river can tell you that flooding and New Smyrna Beach Flood Damage  are just part of life. In some areas, flooding and water damage happen every year, like in the Red River area of North Dakota. In other places, irrigation and man-made changes contribute to flooding. Big storms also result in flooding. Regions where flooding happens often are designated as floodplains. They are natural basins for water drainage from high points that surround the area. Another example is the Natomas region, which is located near Sacramento, California. This area is located between two rivers and forms a natural overflow basin. It once was farmland, but now it is full of housing developments.

Flood risk and potential flood damage continues to grow because of the spread of housing and growing developments across the country. However, these developments represent economic growth. Many jurisdictions like NEW SMYRNA try to manage flood risk by means of dams, irrigation, trees, canal systems, and more. These strategies can help to relieve minor flooding, but large floods and water damage still occur regularly.

When there are large-scale disasters at a national level, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for coordinating emergency response. They are also instrumental in flood prevention and flood response through management of federally backed flood insurance program. The federal government has to underwrite and support flood insurance policies because of the large risk involved for private companies. The government uses policies through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for this purpose. Before floods actually occur, this is the first level of response offered by FEMA. Any person who lives in an area that has been designated a floodplain is required to have flood insurance on their residential home. It is up to a business owner to insure commercial properties with flood insurance.

The next level of response involves incident management of a major flood disaster. FEMA will take over at the national level and support local governments. They are involved in flood mitigation, rescue, and survivor support. They provide rescue teams, incident teams, specialists, government equipment, and emergency centers for individuals who have been affected. They are behind programs that benefit individuals who lived in a flood zone during the months following the flood.

The next level of response FEMA is involved in has to do with actual disaster recovery. This has to do with providing emergency housing support and financial support. Victims of a flood can apply for assistance. FEMA WILL ARRANGE TEMPORARY HOUSING and also provide other assistance, like food and clothing. This help is essential when victims live in areas where everything has been damaged.

The fourth level of involvement has to do with community reconstruction. This usually takes a long time because it involves multiple government agencies as well as public contracting. Depending on the project, recovery can take many years and cost millions of dollars. In the meantime, property owners spend a lot of time waiting for government approval for work to be done on their property. Even though the work will be done in the end, this step is usually the most frustrating for individual victims who would just like to repair their home and get back to normal life. Interestingly, when an individual has flood insurance, they usually see the fastest water damage response because their policy will kick in more quickly than waiting for institutional responses.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

We live and work in this community too; we might even be neighbors. As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of New Smyrna Beach-Titusville is close by to Titusville, Ponce Inlet, and Mims and ready to respond to your water and flood damage emergency. Call us for help (386) 423-1111