Report Shows State's Significant Exposure To Flood Risk

On April 3, 2013, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the public draft of California's Flood Future: Recommendations for Managing the State's Flood Risk. The draft report finds that $580 billion in assets are exposed to flood risk throughout the state, and 7 million Californians live in a floodplain. The report finds California is at catastrophic risk for devastating floods and flooding is a statewide problem.

The report includes seven strategic recommendations intended to inform local, state, and federal decisions about flood management policies and financial investments:

1) Conduct regional flood risk assessments to better understand statewide flood risk;

2) Increase public and policymaker awareness about flood risks to facilitate informed decisions;

3) Increase support for flood emergency preparedness, response and recovery programs to reduce flood impacts;

4) Encourage land use planning practices that reduce the consequences of flooding;

5) Implement flood management from regional, system-wide and statewide perspectives to provide multiple benefits;

6) Increase collaboration among public agencies to improve flood management planning, policies and investments; and

7) Establish sufficient and stable funding mechanisms to reduce flood risk.

The report is available through DWR's website.  There is a 45-day public comment period for the draft report.