What People Know About Flood Risk: Region 8

1. What People Know About Flood Risk:Region 8 Results of the 2012 Risk MAP Public and Local Official Surveys

2. Agenda • Background • Details • Findings • Opportunities

3. Background • FEMA surveyed the public and local officials for a third time to: • Identify changes in flood risk awareness since 2010 • Inform national outreach and community engagement • FEMA surveyed the public and local officials to: • Identify the impact that Risk MAP is having on flood risk awareness and actions • Find opportunities to improve flood risk communication and outreach • Measure progress toward its goals: • Public awareness and understanding of risk management • Local official awareness of flood risk within Risk MAP project areas

4. Public Survey Findings Results of the 2012 Risk MAP Public Survey

5. Public Survey Overview • Conducted 1,000 telephone interviews by phone between July 31 – August 14, 2012 • 25% cell phone users and 75% landline users (new in 2012) • 77% homeowners, 23% renters • R8: 103 interviews • Valid at the National and Regional levels • Also allows us to compare awareness in Risk MAP vs. non-Risk MAP areas • Objectives, to determine: • Current awareness and understanding of flood risk • Actions taken to mitigate flood risk • How respondents receive and prefer to receive flood risk information • Changes in flood risk awareness since 2010

6. Public Survey Findings • Flooding isn’t their biggest problem • A large majority of respondents (90%) did not believe flooding was the primary hazard their community faced • R8: 89% did not believe flooding was the primary hazard their community faced • Less people believe their communities are at risk of flooding than last year • Decreased from 41% in 2011 to 31% in 2012 • R8: Decreased from 60% in 2011 to 22% in 2012 • Fewer people believe their home to be at risk than their communities • As in 2011, only 12% of respondents believed that their own home was at risk • R8: 5% of respondents believed that their own home or apartment was at risk • Those living in areas with Risk MAP projects were more likely to believe their home or apartment was at risk of flooding (13.9% vs. 9% in non-Risk MAP project areas).

7. Public Survey Findings (cont.)

8. Public Survey Findings (cont.) • Not many people search for flood risk information • One-quarter of people looked for information about their home or apartment’s flood risk • Just over 78% stated that the information was very or somewhat easy find • R8: somewhat easy (43%), very easy (46%) • Those who believed their home was at risk were more likely to say that the information was difficult to find (41.5%) • People who searched for flood information were more likely to take mitigation action • Interestingly, the belief that one’s community or home was at flood risk was not linked strongly with taking action • Moving into a new place prompts flood research • People searched for flood risk information when moving into a new home or apartment (35%) or due to a recent flooding event (13%) • R8: 36% of the respondents said when they moved into a new home or apartment and 11% said a recent flood.

9. Public Survey Findings (cont.) • People want to hear from their mayor and local media about flood risk • Thirty-six percent felt that their mayor or local elected official should keep them posted about flood risk, with the local media slightly less • R8: mayor or other elected officials (43%) and local media (28%) • Twenty-four percent of respondents stated that they heard about their community’s risk of flooding from their local officials at least annually • R8: 13% hear from them a least annually • 54.6% don’t hear about flooding from them at all, up from 45% in 2011 • R8: 43% don’t hear from them at all, up from 22% in 2011 • People want flood risk information delivered to them • Local news (76%) was by far the preferred information source regarding general flood risk, with mailings a distant second • R8: local media (82%), mailings (29%), and emails (24%)

10. Public Survey Findings (cont.)

11. Public Survey Findings (cont.) • People are confused about flood insurance • Almost 31% of households believed that flood damage was covered by their homeowner’s or renter’s policy (up from 19% in 2011) • R8: 18% believed damage was covered (2012); 15% (2011) • About half of those without flood insurance know that it’s available • Only 23% of those respondents said that their insurance agent had talked to them about it • R8: 22% talked to insurance agent • People primarily take the same steps to reduce flood risk, whether or not they believe they are at risk • Other than purchasing flood insurance, there was not a significant difference in taking steps to prevent homes from flooding

12. Public Survey Findings (cont.) • Proximity to a hazard does not prompt action • Being located near a flood hazard did not make individuals feel that their community was at greater flood risk, but it did make individuals feel that their home was at greater risk. • Despite that, they did not act significantly differently than those who were not located near flood hazards in terms of their behaviors to protect their homes against flooding. • Those who didn’t take action to reduce flood risk didn’t think there was a risk • 81% did not take actions because they did not believe there was a risk • R8: 81% did not believe that their home or apartment is at risk • 5% mentioned cost as a reason • R8: 3% mentioned cost • 4% did not know what actions to take • R8: 3% did not know what actions to take

13. Local Official Survey Findings Results of the 2012 Risk MAP Local Official Survey

14. Local Official Survey Overview • Valid at the National level • Objectives • Understand awareness and understanding of local flood risk • Identify changes in flood risk awareness and action since 2010 • Identify flood prevention or reduction activities undertaken • Determine if and how they share flood risk information • Understand how FEMA can make it easier to communicate • Collected 1,308 responses to online survey , (up 60% from 2011) July 29- August 13, 2012 • 73% were from rural communities • Respondents included mayors (19%), floodplain managers (15%), and city administrator/ managers (14%) among others • 72% had tenure of at least 4 years

15. Local Official Survey Findings • They know their communities are at risk • Nearly 66% of local officials said that their communities were at risk of flooding • 70% in areas with Risk MAP projects • About one-third (34%) considered flooding to be their community’s primary hazard • Those with the most recent flooding were much more likely to characterize their flood risk as high • Those in areas with Risk MAP projects were more likely to: • Believe they were at high risk of flooding (20%) vs. those in non-Risk MAP project areas (12%) • Have taken action to prevent flood risk (75%) vs. those in non-Risk MAP project areas (65%) • Communicate about flood risk several times a year (15%) vs. those in non-Risk MAP project areas (10%)

16. Local Official Survey Findings (cont.) • They don’t communicate the risks of living near levees or dams • Three-fifths (60%) of local officials in communities with levees considered those behind the levee to be at risk • Only 36% of those conducted outreach about it • Over half (57%) of those near a dam considered those behind or downstream of the dam to be at risk of flooding • Only 30% of those conducted outreach about it • They get their flood risk information from: • Flood maps: 71% • Personal experience: 63% • FEMA/National Flood Insurance Program: 62% • Other local officials: 45%

17. Local Official Survey Findings (cont.) • They are using multi-hazard mitigation plans to guide action • Half used a multi-hazard mitigation plan, up from 40% in 2011 • One-quarter (26%) thought that their community’s mitigation plan contributed significantly to the implementation of mitigation actions in their communities • 50% thought it contributed somewhat • A variety of officials participated in developing the multi-hazard mitigation plans • Emergency managers: 74% • Community planning officials: 62% • Other local officials: 59% • City council or planning commission: 57% • Floodplain managers: 50% • FEMA: 26%

18. Local Official Survey Findings (cont.)

19. Local Official Survey Findings (cont.) • They communicate about flood risk • According to the respondents, only 16% of communities never communicate about flood risk, down from 30% in 2011 • If communicating about new flood maps, local officials choose the following methods to communicate the change: • Print media: 67% • Community website: 63% • Community meetings or open houses: 54% • Signs: 40% • Outreach responsibility varies widely • When asked who is responsible for communicating about flood risk to the public, the answers were wide ranging • Mayor/CEO: 31% • Insurance agent: 31% • FEMA: 28% • Mortgage lender: 25% • Other local official: 55%

20. Local Official Survey Findings (cont.) • Local officials reduce flood risk or impacts through floodplain management • 81% cited floodplain management ordinances • 63% zoning • 62% enforcement of local or enhanced building codes • 61% stormwater management regulations • 52% set backs • The reasons why officials don’t take action are varied • 19% of officials said they hadn’t taken action to reduce flood risk because: • Don’t believe they are at risk (57%) • Have resource limitations (36%) • Are unsure which actions to take (16%)

21. Next Steps • Share survey results broadly within FIMA and FEMA to inform decision making • Regions • FloodSmart • Planners • Building Sciences • Floodplain Management/CRS • Dam Safety • Levees • FIMA Communications Office/External Affairs • Identify biggest takeaways for each group and how each will use these findings to inform decisions moving forward • Share with external audiences (e.g., Operating Partners, USACE, NOAA)