Flood insurance: Participation of Indian tribes in federal and private programs

This report addresses the low participation of Indian's tribes, some of which being at high risk of flooding, in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and its three components: (1) the provision of flood insurance, (2) a requirement that participating communities adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations, and (3) the identification and mapping of floodplains.

The report examines: (i) factors affecting Indian tribes’ participation in NFIP; (ii) the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) efforts to increase tribes’ participation in NFIP; and (iii) administrative and legislative actions that could encourage Indian tribes and their members to increase their participation in NFIP and potentially other flood insurance programs. It recommends FEMA to make mapping of tribal lands in flood-prone areas a higher priority.