FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Association. In 1979, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was established by an executive order, which merged many of the separate disaster-related responsibilities into a single agency.

Since then, FEMA has dedicated itself to the mission of helping communities nationwide prepare for, respond to and recover from natural and manmade disasters – a mission strengthened when the agency became part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003. To learn more, download FEMA’s brochure.

NFIP stands for the National Flood Insurance Program.

The Flood Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA), a component of FEMA, manages the NFIP. The three components of the NFIP are:

• Flood Insurance

• Floodplain Management

• Flood Hazard Mapping

Nearly 20,000 communities across the United States and its territories participate in the NFIP by adopting and enforcing floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. In exchange, the NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available to homeowners, renters, and business owners in these communities. Community participation in the NFIP is voluntary.

Flood insurance is designed to provide an alternative to disaster assistance to reduce the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods. Flood damage is reduced by nearly $1 billion a year through communities implementing sound floodplain management requirements and property owners purchasing flood insurance. Additionally, buildings constructed in compliance with NFIP building standards suffer approximately 80 percent less damage annually than those not built in compliance.

In addition to providing flood insurance and reducing flood damages through floodplain management regulations, the NFIP identifies and maps the Nation’s floodplains. Mapping flood hazards creates broad-based awareness of the flood hazards and provides the data needed for floodplain management programs and to actuarially rate new construction for flood insurance.

A flood vent or “flood port” is a permanent opening in a wall designed to allow the unobstructed passage of water automatically in both directions in to or out of the building interior. Flood vents are intended to reduce the risk of structural damage (from the forces of floods or flood waters) for buildings located in special flood hazard areas [or “flood plains”] in accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Flood vents may be solid hinged covers intended for use on occupied space (or a garage) or vented hinged covers for dual use as a crawl space foundation vent (for un-conditioned crawl spaces) and as a flood relief opening.

Flood vents relieve hydrostatic pressure on the foundation walls to help prevent/minimize structural damage to the building.

Many homes meeting certain criteria require flood vents to be installed. In many instances you cannot obtain a mortgage without flood insurance.

Flood vents may substantially reduce the destruction and damage to your home during certain flood events. You may even quality for a discount or reduced premium on your current flood insurance policy by installing flood vents. The “lowest floor” used for calculations by the NFIP may be raised by installing proper openings and thereby lowering your insurance rates. You may want to check with your insurance agent to determine if you qualify for a discount on your existing flood insurance policy by adding flood vents.