Lawmakers representing West?Virginia are worried about the impact of increased flood insurance costs on local families and are trying to take action.

In the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, U.S. Congress mandated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, along with other entities, modify the operations of the National Flood Insurance Program. The law, passed in July 2012, continues the federal program for five years, according to FEMA’s website.

The program was initially started in 1968 to keep insurance entities from eliminating flood damage protection from insurance policies. It allowed property owners to buy flood insurance, as long as their community followed the floodplain management rules and minimum guidelines for building new structures.

“Key provisions of the legislation will require the NFIP to raise rates to reflect true flood risk, make the program more financially stable, and change how Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) updates impact policyholders,” www.fema.gov states.

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