Conflicting federal policies may cost residents more on flood insurance, and leave them at risk
Conflicting federal policies reportedly may cause thousands of residents in flood-prone areas to face higher flood insurance costs or remain unaware of the risks posed by nearby upstream dams. Challenges occur because FEMA's points-based rating system requires communities to acquire info to map and warn about potential dam failures to get the best insurance discounts, but other federal agencies restrict the release of vital info. For example, Fort Collins, Colo., earned the most points of any community but still failed to get the maximum discounts because it didn't have enough info about dams.