OWRB and the National Flood Insurance Program

For more than 50 years, the OWRB has been the coordinating state agency for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in Oklahoma. As the NFIP State Coordinator, the Water Board partners with other state and federal agencies and local governments to prevent and mitigate the catastrophic effects of flooding disasters in Oklahoma.

The NFIP is a federal initiative that provides communities with a mechanism for implementing sound floodplain management techniques. This effective quid pro quo approach to floodplain management makes affordable flood insurance available for citizens in participating communities that enact and adhere to sound regulations that guide development in floodplains. In return, the NFIP requires the community to adopt a floodplain management ordinance containing certain minimum requirements intended to reduce future flood losses. The OWRB promotes community enrollment in the NFIP and advises the over 400 current participating communities on steps to ensure future participation.

The Oklahoma Floodplain Management Act, passed in 1980, authorizes communities (cities, towns, and counties) to develop and enforce floodplain regulations in designated flood hazard areas. An amendment in 2004 calls for community floodplain administrators to become accredited through the OWRB, ensuring that these officials are properly trained to effectively administer local floodplain regulations.