Federal Emergency Management Agency

Design Manual for Retrofitting Flood-prone Residential Structures Federal Emergency Management Agency

Many homeowners feel they are trapped in a never-ending cycle of flooding and repairing. In addition, even though the flood damage can be repaired, the house is rarely the same, and its value usually declines. However, there are ways that this cycle of repetitive flooding can be broken. Throughout the country, numerous examples can be found that illustrate practical and cost-effective methods for reducing or eliminating the risk of a house being flooded again. Retrofitting a structure involves several steps, and this manual is arranged to cover them in a logical order.