Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011
Floor Speech
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Mr. CUELLAR. I want to thank Congresswoman Waters for her courtesy and, of course, for her leadership on this issue. I also want to thank the subcommittee chairwoman, Mrs. Biggert, as well as Financial Services Chairman Bachus and Ranking Member Frank, for their bipartisan work on this piece of legislation.
I consulted with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle with regard to my amendment, and I believe this will be included en bloc with the other amendments.
Homeowners, businesses and regions throughout the country are hit by flood disasters every year, and I understand that, in such traumatic and desperate times, our communities must be prepared and equipped with the most up-to-date information and resources. I have repeatedly met with my constituents and district county judges, specifically Judge Eloy Vera from Starr County in South Texas, who experienced flooding issues recently. I learned that flood zone maps had not been updated for decades--decades--and that this hampered economic development when they were struck by a flood recently. The reasons for outdated flood maps vary, and maps from the 1970s are not uncommon, but there is a need to strengthen the relationships between entities that handle flood insurance maps to address regional concerns.
My amendment is simple and bipartisan. It encourages FEMA, State emergency agencies and localities to increase communications to resolve outstanding issues and to provide necessary, tailored information in an effort to decrease the prevalence of outdated flood zone maps. Flood-threatened areas with outdated flood zone maps are not only contradictory, but can result in serious problems for the region. Increasing FEMA, State and local relationships is a practical and effective way to assist communities and to ensure a steady process to modernize flood maps.
So we are ready when a disaster strikes, I urge support for my commonsense amendment that will be included en bloc.
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