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

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Agenda Background Details Findings Opportunities

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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

Public Survey FindingsResults of the 2012 Risk MAP Public Survey

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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

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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).

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Public Survey Findings (cont.)

Series10

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Percentage of Respondents Who Be-lieve their Community is at Risk of

Flooding

Region 8

Region 8

Region 8 Nation

Nation

Nation

2010 2011 2012

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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.

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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%)

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Public Survey Findings (cont.)

Series1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Top 3 Preferred Methods of Receiv-ing Flood Risk Information

Nation

Region 8

Nation

Region 8

Nation

Region 8

Email

Mail

Local Media

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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

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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

Local Official Survey FindingsResults of the 2012 Risk MAP Local Official Survey

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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

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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%)

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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%

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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%

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Emergency Managers

Community Planning Officials

City Council or Planning Commission

Floodplain Manager

State

FEMA

Other Local officials

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Participants in Multi-Hazard Plan Development

Local Official Survey Findings (cont.)

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Local Official Survey Findings (cont.)

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%

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%

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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%)

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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)

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