Latest Flood Headlines

All the headlines from our Flood Topic Page, ordered by recency.

FEMA Releases New Flood Insurance Rates by ZIP Code. Brace for Impact.

May 8 2023 // When the Federal Emergency Management Agency unveiled its new Risk Rating 2.0 methodology for calculating flood insurance, advocates and critics alike warned that it would mean higher premiums for thousands of property...

Louisiana Parish Sues FEMA Over Flood Rate Information

May 2 2023 // A Louisiana parish is suing FEMA for withholding flood insurance rating methodology, alleging the agency has denied residents from viewing data used to set rates under the National Flood Insurance Program’s Risk...

Biden Declares Flooded Part of South Florida a Disaster Area

May 1 2023 // President Joe Biden declared Florida’s Broward County a disaster area Friday, two weeks after record-breaking rain left parts of Fort Lauderdale and its suburbs flooded.Gov. Ron DeSantis had requested the declaration...

Mississippi River Flooding Prompts Evacuations, Sandbagging in Iowa

Apr 28 2023 // DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Some residents along the swelling Upper Mississippi River evacuated their homes this week while others scrambled Wednesday to stack sandbags in preparation for what forecasters say could be...

Insured Losses for Southeast Australia Floods of October 2022 Rise to A$907M: PERILS

Apr 28 2023 // Insured losses for floods that hit Southeast Australia in October 2022 have risen to A$907 million (US$600.2 million), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe...

California Community Braces for Floods as Epic Snow Melts

Apr 27 2023 // Ron Caetano is packed and ready to go. His family photos and valuables are in the trailer and he’s put food in carry totes. He moved the rabbits and chickens and their automatic feeders to higher ground.He and his...

Evacuations Ordered After Flooding in Small Arizona Town

Apr 24 2023 // Navajo Nation officials ordered evacuations for some residents of Chinle after floodwaters filled washes and overflowed berms and dirt dams.They said many residents are refusing to leave, however, because they want to...

As Governor Seeks Disaster Dec, Fort Lauderdale Needs New City Hall After Flood

Apr 24 2023 // Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Biden administration on Saturday to declare Broward County a disaster area due to flooding earlier this month after record rainfall. The flooding, from record rainfall, was so great that...

Minnesota Prepares for Flooding on Mississippi, Other Rivers

Apr 20 2023 // STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) – The Metropolitan Airports Commission temporarily shut down flight operations for much of Tuesday at the St. Paul Downtown Airport while crews installed flood control barriers to hold back...

Navajo Nation Receiving Federal Aid for Severe Flood Damage

Apr 17 2023 // The Navajo Nation is set receive federal emergency aid to help repair damage caused by severe flooding during a series of storms earlier this year. President Joe Biden granted a disaster declaration for the largest Native...

Why Downpour in South Florida Just Wouldn’t Stop, Portending Future Floods

Apr 17 2023 // In some ways, it was the Florida Man of storms – not quite knowing when to say when.Usually, thunderstorms fizzle out after they run out of rain or get cold air sucked in. But not Wednesday, when the storm that hit...

Torrential Rain Floods Parts of South Florida, Closing Schools, Airport, Rail Service

Apr 14 2023 // Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport, schools and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the...

Wright Flood Expands Private Flood Insurance Offering in Illinois

Apr 6 2023 // Wright National Flood Insurance Services has announced its entrance into Illinois by introducing an admitted, stand-alone private flood insurance product as the next state in the continued expansion of the company’s...

Report: Nearly 3,000 Buildings Affected by California Floods

Mar 22 2023 // An analysis released on Wednesday shows 2,933 properties were impacted by flooding across California, with an average inundation depth at building level of just over 1 foot.ICEYE’s Flood Insights, a data utility for...

Insured Losses From N. Zealand Floods Estimated at US$1.02B, With Profit Hit Expected

Mar 15 2023 // The initial insured losses for the recent floods in the North Island of New Zealand are estimated at NZ$1.65 billion ($1.02 billion), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides...

Texas High Court: No Immunity for City that Closed Flood Gate During Downpour

Mar 15 2023 // Eleven property owners whose homes were flooded after a city of Brownsville official closed a flood gate may proceed with their claims against the city because of a statute that waives governmental immunity for damages...

FEMA Urges California and Nevada Residents to Heed Flood Warnings

Mar 13 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency is cautioning residents in parts of central California and western Nevada to pay attention to local officials as additional heavy rains and flooding are predicted.The National...

Costs Prompt Iowa Town to Assess Flood Control Efforts

Mar 13 2023 // CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – High inflation and construction cost spikes are prompting city officials to study the impact of growing expenses on its permanent flood control system.But City Manager Jeff Pomeranz recently...

New York City Launches Parametric Flood Program With Insurance, Tech Firms

Mar 8 2023 // Insurer Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter, and the data technology firm ICEYE have teamed up with New York City government agencies to develop a pilot parametric flood recovery assistance...

As Catastrophic Storm Costs Rise, Could Mandatory Flood Insurance Help?

Mar 6 2023 // This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. Key Takeaways: The rising cost to U.S. taxpayers of more frequent and severe flood damages The problems with the current state of flood insurance in the U.S. Actual and...