IMAGES Act introduced to improve accuracy of flood Insurance mapping standards

Reckoning with the increased influx of storms rattling the United States in recent years, United States Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) and Alex Mooney (R-WV) introduced the Improvement of Mapping, Addresses, Geography, Elevation and Structures (IMAGES) Act (H.R. 2568) this week to improve flood maps.

These flood maps are used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to calculate the risk and preparations necessary for natural disasters in a given area. Specifically, the new legislation would require property level detail in these calculations and updates to real-time data feeds used by affected agencies, as well as require qualification-based selection (QBS) contracting for all surveying and mapping services.

“South Texas is no stranger to hurricanes, storms and flooding, making need for flood mapping reform more pressing than ever,” Gonzalez said. “As hurricane season ramps up, it is imperative that we pass legislation like the IMAGES Act to equip our coastal communities and those historically impacted by flooding, the information to invest in long-term flood prevention. Complete and accurate flood maps are fundamental to protecting residential and commercial property in South Texas and many other at-risk areas across the country.”

Reforms under the proposed legislation would be continual, working toward a current data set of rate maps with address information, structures and zoning codes, so as to align with flood insurance processing and emergency responses. Overall, this would strengthen the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which regulates NFIP.

“The mapping reforms in the IMAGES Act recognize professional services and technology applications that will improve the quality, accuracy, and utility of FEMA flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs),” John Palatiello, Founder of U.S. GEO, said. “The initiatives Representatives Gonzalez and Mooney provided in this legislation will provide a positive return on investment, save tax dollars, and improve the program for the benefit of taxpayers and flood insurance ratepayers.”

The endeavor also earned the support of the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). Representatives of the organization noted that IMAGES would bring important developments to the nation’s technical resources and help inform flood-hazard mitigation policies.