A new report published Jan. 12 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows 105,000 Los Angeles County residents—or nearly 4 percent—live near a designated 100-year flood plain, putting them in an “at risk” category.
“Rising populations in flood prone areas exacerbate flooding risk. Impacts can be greater to the elderly or those with a low income, as these citizens may not have the resources to adequately prepare or recover,” the report said.
Designated flood plains or zones are areas the Federal Emergency Management Agency has defined according to varying levels of flood risk.
Such floodplains are near lakes, rivers, streams, or other bodies of water with at least a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year….