Update on activities of the federal insurance administration

The Federal Insurance Administration (FIA) handles the federal programs that offer insurance against losses from flood and crime, most notably the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP is funded by the income from flood insurance policies (premium payments and a federal policy fee on each policy) that are sold under its auspices. The premiums go into the National Flood Insurance Fund, which is used to pay claims on flood losses during an average loss year. The federal policy fee goes toward the Mitigation Grant Fund and is also used for all program expenses, including all flood hazard identification and mapping and other floodplain management activities. It also includes all insurance operations expenses-those of the FIA and the Write Your Own insurance companies

The Federal Emergency Management Agency joins hands with the American Society of Civil Engineers to promote flood hazard mitigation

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has made a major commitment to flood hazard mitigation over the past several years. This commitment has resulted in a developing close working relationship with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Two major developments have resulted from this collaborative effort. The ASCE-7 Standard, "Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures", is being revised to include flood loads, and a new ASCE Standard, "Flood Resistant Design and Construction for Buildings and Other Structures," is being completed. Both standards will include mandatory language suitable for code adoption and non-mandatory commentary portions