Federal Flood Risk Management Standard

The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard is a flood standard that aims to build a more resilient future. As stated in Section 1 of Executive Order 13690, “It is the policy of the United States to improve the resilience of communities and federal assets against the impacts of flooding. These impacts are anticipated to increase over time due to the effects of climate change and other threats. Losses caused by flooding affect the environment, our economic prosperity, and public health and safety, each of which affects our national security.”

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Understanding FEMA’s Final Rule and Policy

On July 11, 2024, FEMA published a Final Rule in the Federal Register and an updated policy that revises regulations to fully implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS).

Review FAQs about FEMA’s Rule and Policy

The FFRMS was established to encourage federal agencies to consider and manage current and future flood risks in order to build a more resilient nation. The standard was revoked but then reinstated through Executive Order 14030, Climate-Related Financial Risk, clarifying that the FFRMS as well as the guidelines for floodplain management under Executive Order 11988 should remain in effect.

It requires agencies to prepare for and protect federally funded buildings and projects from flood risks. More specifically, it requires agencies to determine specific federal building or project dimensions – that is, how high and how wide and how expansive a building or project should be – in order to manage and mitigate any current or potential flood risks.

The FFRMS gives flexibility and requires agencies to select one of the three approaches for establishing the flood elevation (“how high”) and corresponding flood hazard area (“how wide”) used for project siting, design and construction:

• Climate Informed Science Approach (CISA): The elevation and flood hazard area that result from using the best-available, actionable hydrologic and hydraulic data and methods that integrate current and future changes in flooding based on climate science;
• Freeboard Value Approach (FVA): The elevation and flood hazard area that result from adding an additional 2 feet to the base flood elevation for non-critical actions and by adding an additional 3 feet to the base flood elevation for critical actions; or
• 500-year floodplain: The area subject to flooding by the 0.2% -annual-chance flood.

On July 11, FEMA published a Final Rule and Policy to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which addresses increased flood risk. This rule is designed to make communities more resilient and help reduce the damage caused by both current and future flooding. The Final Rule and FEMA policy will be effective on Sept. 9, 2024.

FEMA’s FFRMS Final Rule

FEMA Policy 206-24-005

Across the nation, storms and floods are growing in severity and frequency. They damage - sometimes destroy - schools, hospitals, homes and other property. These disasters not only negatively affect individuals’ daily lives and overall livelihoods on-the-ground but can accumulate to impact entire communities and economies.

Since 1980, the United States has sustained hundreds of weather and climate disasters where damages and associated costs reached $1 billion for each event, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Of those disasters, severe storms and flooding are in the top three for most occurrences.

The total costs associated with severe storms and flooding calculated to $345 billion and $168 billion, respectively. Climate change projections suggest that storms will likely become more frequent and stronger in many regions of the country. The federal government is taking steps to ensure that federal investments include standards of safety against floods and sea level rise and build communities to be more resilient to flooding.