Introduction

The primary purpose of the Community Assistance Program is to ensure that communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program are complying with its flood loss reduction standards. Compliance is verified through Community Assistance Visits that are conducted by the California Department of Water Resources and/or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Each community that participates in the NFIP is typically visited on a three to five year cycle. The CAP also provides training workshops for community officials. These workshops focus on safe building construction and other development in the 100-year floodplain and community compliance with the floodplain management standards of the NFIP.

FEMA's Role

The NFIP is administered by the Federal Insurance Administration, a component of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA provides three primary functions under the NFIP: 1) Identify the 100-year floodplain or "Special Flood Hazard Area", and publish this information in a Flood Insurance Study with accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps; 2) establish the minimum standards for development within the Special Flood Hazard Area; and 3) provide affordable, federally-backed flood insurance. In addition, FEMA administers the Community Assistance and Community Compliance Programs.

DWR's Role

In each state, the governor designates a coordinating agency for the NFIP. In California, it is the Department of Water Resources. Under a cost sharing contract with FEMA Region IX, DWR performs most of the Community Assistance Visits and workshops in California. DWR also provides technical assistance to communities for development within the Special Flood Hazard Area and has developed a model Floodplain Management Ordinance that complies with the minimum standards of the NFIP.

Community Assistance Visit

The CAV is a scheduled visit to a community participating in the NFIP for the purpose of: 1) Conducting a comprehensive assessment of the community's floodplain management program; 2) assisting the community and its staff in understanding the NFIP and its requirements; and 3) assisting the community in implementing effective flood loss reduction measures when program deficiencies or violations are discovered.

The CAV process consists of five steps: 1) An appointment letter is sent to the community's chief elected officer and the Floodplain Administrator; 2) development within the community's Special Flood Hazard Area is field inspected; 3) a two to three hour meeting with community officials is conducted; 4) a Community Visit Report is written with a cover letter to the community's chief elected officer within 30 days of the date of the CAV meeting detailing the community actions necessary to resolve any identified compliance problems; and, if necessary, 5) a follow-up letter is written to conclude that all issues identified in the Community Visit Report have been resolved or to refer unresolved compliance problems to FEMA for follow-up under the Community Compliance Program. If follow-up assistance is required, every effort is made to provide follow-up assistance within 90-days from the date of the CAV.

Community Compliance Program

A complete system has been developed to identify and resolve program deficiencies and violations with the objective of obtaining community compliance with the NFIP criteria. This system is the Community Compliance Program that complements the Community Assistance Program. If problems are encountered during implementation of the Community Assistance Program that cannot be resolved by providing assistance to the community, then the Community Compliance Program determines the follow-up action by the FEMA headquarters and regional offices.

The objectives of the CCP are: 1) Maximize the use of existing NFIP structure; 2) resolve problems through technical assistance rather than enforcement action; 3) provide an array of options for resolving program deficiencies and remedying violations; and 4) provide for similar treatment of like-situated communities. If community deficiencies and violations still cannot be resolved, then enforcement action may be initiated by FEMA to obtain community compliance with NFIP floodplain management criteria. Enforcement actions include probation leading to community suspension from the NFIP, recertification of each flood insurance policy at renewal, and subrogation against the community (FEMA sues to recover flood insurance claims it has paid).