HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7
(By Delegates Bean, Kuhn, Ennis, Martin and Walters)
[Introduced January 23, 2003; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Requesting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to expedite the
process of updating West Virginia's flood insurance rate maps.
Whereas, As flood insurance rate maps age they may not
accurately reflect flood hazard conditions, potentially creating a
false sense of security for the citizens of West Virginia; and
Whereas, Outdated flood insurance rate maps may result in the
construction of buildings, infrastructure and individual homes
within the active floodplain; and
Whereas, Flood hazards are dynamic and may change rapidly due
to community development as well as natural processes in the
watershed, exacerbating the need for up-to-date, comprehensive
flood maps; and
Whereas, The Federal Emergency Management Agency is the
governmental entity responsible for revising and updating flood
insurance rate maps; and
Whereas, Eighty-eight percent of flood insurance rate maps in
the State of West Virginia are ten years old or older and seventeen
percent of West Virginia flood insurance rate maps are twenty years
old or older; and
Whereas, The Legislature of the State of West Virginia does
desire that the Federal Emergency Management Agency expedite its
review and revision of the flood insurance rate maps; and
Whereas, Utilization of updated flood insurance rate maps will
allow governmental officials to better protect the State's citizens
from the ravages of flooding; and
Whereas, The severity of West Virginia's flood events in the
last decade, particularly in the southern part of the State,
indicates the urgency of the need for revision of flood insurance
rate maps in West Virginia relative to the needs of other states;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Federal Emergency Management Agency, should
immediately undertake to expedite the process of revising and
updating the flood insurance rate maps of West Virginia and,
further, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should give
priority to the mapping needs of the communities of West Virginia
relative to those of other states.