SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. — Rick Satterwhite’s house backs up to the Missouri River, but flood insurance hadn’t really seemed necessary – until this week, when he had to pump water out of his basement after a round of destructive storms.
And this past week’s storms also badly flooded smaller rivers that don’t frequently overflow, catching people off guard.“I don’t think people have a personal experience with floods like this very often,” said Nathan Young, associate director of the Iowa Flood Center. While he doesn’t regret his decision not to buy an expensive policy, he acknowledged residents might feel differently on the south side of the river, where some homes are unlivable with water on the main floor.
One problem is that FEMA is prohibited from discounting premiums for low-income residents, according to Rob Moore, director of flooding solutions at the Natural Resources Defense Council.And when rebuilding starts, that's the easiest time to mitigate the risk of the next flood, said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.