New Flood Insurance Rate Maps Under 90-Day Review Period

By Ron Fitzwater

On Thursday, Nov. 20, Ashe County landowners were given the opportunity to inspect preliminary editions of

recently updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).

The digital maps, which were created by a process known as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), give a detailed topographic view of the county's floodplains.

The roots of the process that led to the proposed maps go back to September 1999 and the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. At the time, more than half of the FIRMs being used were not up to date, resulting in 80 percent of the storm damaged properties had not been identified as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). SFHAs are areas that have a one percent annual chance of flooding. Incorrect designations led to months of problems in collecting insurance benefits.

Proposed benefits of the new maps are intended to allow flood insurance to be sold and renewed in the community, allow federal agencies such as VA, FHA, HUD, EPA and others to approve loans and grants for acquisition or construction within SFHAs and make state and federal disaster assistance available for flood-damaged structures.

At the public gathering, held in the small courtroom of the county building, representatives of the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program were on hand to answer questions about the maps and assist persons in disagreement with the data produced in finding information on making an appeal.

Stephen E. Garrett spoke to the landowners outlining the processes used to create the maps, FEMA terminology, an overview of the National Flood Insurance Program, the Floodplain Mapping Program and the impact the new maps could have on flood insurance policies and floodplain management.

Currently the maps are under a 90-day review process, set to expire on Feb. 11, 2009. During the appeal period, commercial and private property owners, as well as community officials, may submit objections to information shown on the maps or the accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report.

Under the NFIP there are two ways to request changes to the information found on the FIRMs and the FIS. You may appeal or lodge a formal protest.

An appeal may challenge the new or revised information and must be based on data that show base flood elevations to be scientifically and technically wrong.

Protests are formal objections to the FIRMs and the FIS but have no relation to the base flood elevations. They normally deal with delineation of the updated floodplain boundaries and floodways, corporate limits, Extraterritorial Jurisdiction boundaries and road names and locations.

Garrett strongly encouraged anyone with questions to visit the program's web site at www.ncfloodmaps.com. or call (919) 715-5711 ext. 118 for Garrett, or 281 for Milton Carpenter.