Presentation at Cascadia 2025

Abstract The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP): spatial distribution of designations, policies, and claims across the United States

Lauren B Wilner, Joseph L. Dieleman, Joan A. Casey

Floods accounted for the majority of climate change attributable mortality in the 21st century, and are predicted to continue to increase in both frequency and severity. In the US, one program aimed at mitigating the impacts of floods on individuals is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). NFIP's goal is to minimize losses following a flood by (1) identifying flood hazard areas and disincentivizing building homes there, and (2) providing monetary relief in the event of flood damage to existing homes. Across the US, the availability of NFIP varies. Further, when available, NFIP coverage varies in terms of individuals who hold policies or file claims. Such availability and use likely impacts post-flood health. However, there is no single dataset containing information on NFIP availability or on NFIP policies held and claims filed. Here, we aimed to map the NFIP (1) designations, (2) policies held, and (3) claims filed across the US from 2000--2024. The resulting dataset provides the first nationwide spatial dataset of NFIP, facilitating assessment of how flood impacts health.