Minimize risks and increase protection using a reliable digital assessment app to effectively identify flood hazards and generate a comprehensive flooding risk assessment report.
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According to the World Health Organization, it indicates that between 1998 - 2017, floods negatively impacted more than 2 billion individuals all over the globe. On top of this, over 80% of the recorded natural disasters in the last 10 years were because of floods, storms, and drought. A testament to the widespread devastation that results in massive loss of life and damage to property, flooding is one of the most dangerous natural disasters around the globe affecting homes, communities, businesses, and local governments. Individuals who live in floodplains, non-resistant buildings, or those who have no warning systems and flood awareness are especially vulnerable to floods.
This is why flood risk assessments are done, so relevant authorities, engineers, surveyors, architects, and even homeowners understand how likely it is for a flood with damaging intensity to happen at a specific area and its surrounding areas over a while.
A flood risk assessment (FRA) is a document that lists all the potential flood risks to a development site. It seeks to quantitatively evaluate the hazards associated with flood scenarios, their impact on inhabitants, and the economic activity of the area. It should also include suggestions for the implementation of relevant safety measures to reduce the impact of flooding on the area.
Overall, the main objectives of a flood risk assessment are to evaluate whether:
1. Why is it important to consider the flood zone
2. What are the methods for assessing flood risks
3. How does digital application support flooding risk assessment?
Before purchasing or developing a home, you must understand the flood risk of the area you’re developing in. One important reason to have your property assessed is for flood insurance. Flood maps show the community’s risk of flooding and can be used to determine flood insurance requirements and costs.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reports that over 40% of insurance claims between 2015 to 2019 came from areas mapped outside of high-risk flood zones. This is why it’s important to have your property assessed — so you can take measures to protect it from flood risks.
The reality is, all developments can benefit from flood risk assessments because no one is fully safe from flooding. Whether it’s from a nearby body of water or a storm, any area can experience a flood. Taking necessary precautions can help ensure the protection of lives and properties in the long haul, especially because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports an area’s flood risk can change because of climate change, land development, and erosion.
To get a better understanding of the flood zone, we refer to FEMA’s classifications. The designated flood zones are moderate- to low-risk, high-risk areas, and undetermined areas. These flood designations are further segregated into two categories:
To know your area’s flood risk, you can use FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and search for your location on their database.
The goal of the assessment is to evaluate the magnitude of potential flooding that can occur as well as the potential economic loss that it can bring. So, the key factor to making informed decisions on risk management and protection is an accurate flooding risk assessment report.
A flooding risk assessment measures four main things:
The methodology for completing a flood risk assessment involves three essential stages:
Once the flood zone of your area has been identified, the planning and initial assessment begin. This is where a comprehensive flood map of the development site will be made and the areas at risk for flooding will be focused on. It will also include a review of previous floods that have happened in the past and an assessment of potential floods that can take place in the future.
The most important reason for performing a flood risk assessment is to find out the vulnerability level of the development site from any future flood hazards, whether natural or artificial.
The assessment typically looks out for eight major sources of flood risks:
The last stage of an FRA is focused on establishing safety measures and damage mitigation to reduce the risks of flooding to acceptable levels. This will include recommendations to install flood defenses to control the potential damage to assets, manage residual risks, and even improve existing water systems.
The flood risk assessment with pen and paper is a challenge. Tracking developments, making updates and implementing measures is easier with a digital application. In addition, training and preventive measures can be implemented more easily by sharing all information digitally with employees, engineers, architects, and even homeowners.
With Lumiform's mobile app, regular risk assessments can be easily checked by tablet or smartphone - online or offline. The desktop software is used to create checklists and subsequently evaluate the collected data. This significantly reduces the risk of information loss and documentation errors.
Other advantages of a digital flood risk assessment are:
You have questions or would like to schedule a personal demo? We are happy to help you!