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Why is Erie County getting new flood hazard maps?Flood hazard maps, also known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), are important tools in the effort to protect lives and properties in Erie County. They indicate the risk for flooding throughout the county. Over time, water flow and drainage patterns have changed dramatically due to surface erosion, land use and natural forces. Thus, the old maps are out of date. New digital mapping techniques will provide more detailed, reliable and current data on flood hazards. The result: a better picture of the areas most likely to be impacted by flooding and a better foundation from which to make key decisions. Back to TopWho is responsible for modernizing the maps?Currently, there is a nationwide collaborative effort across all
levels of government to update the nation's flood hazard data and
provide it in a detailed, digital format, in accordance with a
multi-year plan created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). The effort evolved as a growing number of industries were
impacted by out-of-date flood data. Erie County's map modernization
project is a joint effort with FEMA and ODNR in cooperation with local
associations and private sector partners. Back to TopWhat is a Flood Hazard Map?Flood hazard maps, also called "Flood Insurance Rate Maps" or "FIRMs" are used to determine the flood risk to your home or business. The low and moderate risk zones are represented on the maps by the letter "X or an "X" that is shaded. The inland high risk zones will be labeled with designations such as "A", "AE", "AO" or "AH". Back to TopWhat are the benefits of the new flood hazard maps?The Map Modernization project will benefit numerous groups of people in different ways:
Back to TopWhat is a floodplain and how do I determine if my property is located in this area?A floodplain is the part of the land where water collects, pools, and
flows during the course of natural events. Such areas are classified as
Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA), and are located in a 100-year flood
zone. The term "100-year flood" is a little confusing. It is the flood
elevation that has a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded each
year; it is not the flood that will occur once every 100 years. The
likelihood of a flood occurring within a 100-year stretch of time is
very, very, high, but there's no way to predict when the next flood will
occur - or the one after that. Those areas on the redrawn maps in the
SFHA may include zones A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, and VE zones. Low risk
and moderate risk areas will be designated as X zones and shaded X zones
on the new maps. Back to TopHow will the new flood hazard maps affect me?Neighborhoods across Erie County will be affected differently by these map changes. There will be some properties that aren't affected - their risk remains the same. Other properties will now be mapped into a higher risk area and/or show a new Base Flood Elevation. Some properties will be mapped into a lower risk area than before. Back to TopWhat will happen if I move from a low or moderate risk area to a high risk area?If the new maps-once adopted- indicate the building on your property
is now at a higher risk for flooding, you will be required to purchase a
flood policy if you carry a mortgage from a federally regulated lender.
If you do not have a mortgage, it is still recommended that you purchase
flood insurance. Over the life of a 30 year loan, there is about a 3
times greater chance of having a flood in your home than having a fire.
And most homeowners insurance policies do not provide coverage for
damage due to flooding. Back to TopWhat will happen if I move from a high-risk to a low or moderate risk area?When a building moves to a low or moderate risk area, there is no
longer a federally mandated requirement to purchase flood insurance.
However, the risk has only been reduced, not removed. Flood insurance is
still recommended. Back to TopHow might the new flood maps affect me financially?When new maps are officially adopted, if your structure is mapped
into a high risk area and you have a mortgage with a federally-regulated
lender, you will need to purchase flood insurance. If your property is
mapped into a low or moderate risk area, you are not required to
purchase or maintain insurance, but are strongly encouraged to do so.
The cost of properly protecting your home and contents from flood damage
is far less expensive than the cost to repair or replace it after a
flood has occurred. Back to TopWhat is the Grandfather Rule and how can it help me?The National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP) has "grandfathering" rules to recognize
policyholders who have built in compliance with the flood map in place
at the time of construction or who maintain continuous coverage. These
rules allow such policyholders to benefit in the premium rating for
their building. However, property owners should always use the new map
if it will provide you with a more favorable premium. Built In Compliance
Under this Grandfather
rule, the property owner must provide proper documentation to the
insurance company. Back to TopWhat if my home or business is mapped into a high risk area but I believe the designation is in error?Flood map designations are always based on the best data available to
engineers and local officials at the time areas within a community are
surveyed and assessed. Every effort is made to ensure that the maps
reflect the most accurate and reliable information about the flood risk
for all properties. However, re-examining and updating flood hazard
information for an entire community is often a multi-year process, and
you may feel that you have more accurate data about your property when
new maps are eventually completed and released to the public. Back to TopWhen do the new maps become effective?The maps officially released to county officials and the public are still preliminary. The process that leads to final adoption can last as long as a year. An Open House where the initial release of the preliminary maps was completed during the middle of November 2006 by FEMA and ODNR. After the Open House, FEMA will publish the preliminary base flood elevations (BFEs) in the Federal Register (only if BFEs have changed), and they will notify the CEO of each community regarding this publishing. Additionally, FEMA will post this information in local newspapers twice in a two-week period. On the date of the second publication, the 90-day Appeals Period begins, and this is when stakeholders may submit new flood data (appeals) or map corrections (protests) to their community floodplain officials for possible incorporation into the new digital FIRMs. At the end of Appeals Period, FEMA will resolve all appeals and protests to finalize the maps and the Flood Insurance Study report. Back to TopHow can I learn more about the flood map modernization process and how it could affect me?The following is a list of resources and contact information if you
have further questions regarding the Erie County map modernization
project:
Other Resources:
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