“Flood Factor is a free online tool created by the nonprofit First Street Foundation that makes it easy for Americans to find their property’s risk of flooding and understand how flood risks are changing because of a changing environment. Flood Factor was created to make the most cutting edge flood science. First Street Foundation aims to quantify and communicate America’s flood risk. By making flood risk data freely available for all, individuals and communities can prepare for and mitigate risks before they become a reality. There is a growing need for flood risk data. Flooding is the most expensive, natural disaster in the United States, costing over $1 trillion in inflation adjusted dollars since 1980. Before Flood Factor, many Americans had limited options to find a home’s flood risk, and no way to determine how that risk would change over the duration of their home ownership. Finding a home’s flood history could be difficult, as flood disclosure laws vary by state, and individual flood insurance claims are protected by privacy laws. Flood risk was largely defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps, which are used to define mortgage risks, set insurance rates, and establish building and land use regulations. FEMA flood maps identify over 1.1 million miles of flood hazard areas, and while the maps can provide detailed information for homeowners on their flood risks, they are not available everywhere. Flood Factor’s national flood model shows that flood risk is more widespread in the United States, with over 25 million properties at risk over the next 30 years. Flood Factor also includes flood risk from urban stormwater flooding, storm surge and future conditions like sea level rise…”