Implications of freeboard policy for homeowners in different income-groups: A case study of Jefferson parish

Abstract The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) encourages the adoption of at least a 1ft. freeboard against flooding. Though freeboard is an effective flood mitigation method, the strategy involves additional investment that may cause economic liabilities. Moreover, such strategies are often generalized and do not consider optimal requirements at the micro-level. To this end, this study identifies the factors of economic vulnerability and proposes a framework for investigating the implications of such policy on different income groups. The discriminant analysis method was used to empirically quantify vulnerability and identify factors that are significant contributors to vulnerability. In addition, a vulnerability-benefit analysis was conducted by quantifying the benefits in terms of savings. The framework has been elucidated with a case study conducted for a group of cities in Jefferson parish with a poverty rate of 20% or more. It was found that though economic vulnerability increased with a decrease in income level, the benefits associated with the use of freeboard were almost equally distributed across all levels of vulnerability. The framework developed in this study is expected to provide helpful insight regarding the impact of different policies formulated for mitigating and managing flood disasters on various population groups at the micro-level.