Deck 7: Mitigating Hazards at the State Level

Question 1

The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution grants all state governments this authority to enact reasonable legislation to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the public.

A) Police power
B) Search and seizure
C) Habeas corpus
D) Commerce clause

Answer 1

A

Question 2

States like _____________ do not have to place as much emphasis on coastal erosion due to their geography.

A) Illinois
B) Maryland
C) Louisiana
D) Florida

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The two levels of state plans under the Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA) of 2000 are

A) stand-alone and supported
B) funded and non-funded
C) standard and non-standard
D) standard and enhanced

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following state policies could be referred to as "strategic retreat?

A) Erecting seawalls along the shoreline to ensure that waves must retreat to the ocean
B) Enacting a setback regulation that restricts development a specified distance from the sandy beach.
C) Building canals to funnel water away from urban development
D) Developing robust evacuation planning to protect public health and safety

Question 5

Many statewide codes are based on nationally recognized model codes, including:

A) the International Building Code (IBC)
B) the International Residential Code (IRC)
C) the International Emergency Code (IEC)
D) a and b
E) all of the above

Question 6

The massive amount of property damage caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 precipitated a major insurance crisis in South Florida, when more than _________ in insurance claims was paid.

A) 1 million
B) 15 million
C) 1 billion
D) 15 billion

Question 7

Because many private insurers are reluctant to provide coverage in high-risk areas, some states have created ______ _______, which offer subsized coverage to high-risk properties and impose additional fees on all insurance contracts in the state to cover the losses of a major disaster.

A) coastal protections
B) safety nets
C) catastrophic insurance
D) insurance pools

Question 8

States have very similar processes in their approach to hazards management and regulation of the built environment in hazard areas.

Question 9

Each of the 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia maintain an office of emergency management.

Question 10

South Florida has long had a reputation of having a strong coastal building code.

Question 11

Wetlands are well known for their water-quality protection function, and have been called nature's "liver" because of their ability to filter impurities from surface water as it makes its way through the hydrologic system.

Question 12

An Area of Environmental Concern (AEC) typically would not include the band of narrow barrier islands that form a State's coastal border.

Question 13

Because their impacts can be spread over a wide area, tornados are often more difficult to insurance than hurricanes. True of False ?

Question 14

State insurance laws require that premiums not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.

Question 15

While states often play a vital role in preparing for and mitigating against natural hazards, all actions directed toward terrorism and other human-made hazards should be left to the federal government.

Question 16

One of the primary federal agencies that the states deal with to secure hazard mitigation funding is the __________________Agency.

Question 17

The term "_____________" is frequently used to refer to a set of codebooks that are coordinated with each other to describe construction techniques and requirements.

Question 18

Although the specifics vary among the coastal states, in general, ___________ work by prohibiting or limiting the erection of structures within a specified distance from the ocean or other environmental characteristics.

Question 19

___________________ is a term used to describe a policy to elevate all buildings' lowest floor above predicted flood elevations, generally by additional heights of 1-3 feet above the minimum height required by the National Flood Insurance Program.

Question 20

Some states require off-site preservation of another wetland when a development activity impairs or destroys a wetland in one location. This is commonly called ______ _______.

Question 21

Give two examples of state regulations designed to reduce the loss of property due to natural hazards, and explain why they are authorized by the U.S. Constitution.

Question 22

States are often describes as a linchpin between federal government policies and programs, and actions at the local level. Describe how states interact with both federal and local governments, as well as non-profits and other organizations in their efforts to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards.