Flood damage costs beyond buildings—A Lake Champlain case study

Introduction

Floods account for more than 75 percent of Federal disaster declarations and lead other natural disasters in economic costs. Early-warning systems have lowered flood-related fatalities, but costs continue to rise as flood-prone areas continue to be urbanized (U.S. Geological Survey, 2006). A Lake Champlain case study shows that at moderate flood heights, the economic costs of non-structural damages or losses—such as temporary lodging, residential debris removal, commercial revenue losses, and road repair—can be greater than economic damages to buildings. For unprecedented flood heights, non-structural damages can still total more than 10 percent of structural damage costs.