Watauga County’s new flood maps are available for public review and comment.

Preliminary copies of updated Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) Report have been issued for Watauga County and the towns of Boone and Blowing Rock.

In August, floodplain maps for properties in the New and Yadkin river basins were released. Last year, flood maps for the Watauga River basin were released.

The new maps utilize advanced digital floodplain mapping technology. The maps were produced by the state of North Carolina in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This partnership, signed September 2000, designated North Carolina as a Cooperating Technical State and delegates the primary responsibility for the creation and maintenance of all FIRMs to the state.

The remapping is the result of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan, which flooded thousands of square miles of North Carolina and left thousands of people homeless. The damage revealed the need for accurate, up-to-date floodplain maps.

The maps are available for review in the Watauga County Department of Planning & Inspections office in the Courthouse Annex in Boone. They arealso be posted at www.ncfloodmaps.com.

The floodplain maps are used to determine which areas are affected by flood insurance. Losses affect homes, agriculture and business, and also lead to job loss.

The maps are part of the Watauga County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, and the ordinance must be revised to acknowledge the changes. The maps determine areas that merit special attention or protection in development. The ordinance was last revised in 1987.

The Appeal Period open for commenting on the preliminary FIRM panels and FIS Report will last through Jan. 12, 2009 for New and Yadkin River Basin portions of Watauga County and will take effect next fall.