Flood insurance coverage is now widespread among coastal homeowners in the United States. Indeed, coverage is far higher among coastal residents than those within river floodplains (Kusler 1983, 7). Serious questions, however, have been raised concerning the efficacy of the flood insurance program in reducing flood losses along the shoreline (Miller 1977,40-41; Kusler, 1982, 45-46; U.S. General Accounting Office, 1982; Burby and French, 1985, 103).
