LOOKING Them OVER—Paul Reeves (front left) and Jerry Brooks (back left) talks about the new floodplain maps with Greg Rucker of Watershed Concepts, an engineering contractor for the state of North Carolina.
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New floodplain maps revealed
By LAURA THORNBURG
Staff
The results of a preliminary flood insurance study for the county and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panels that were issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were discussed locally during a Sept. 19 meeting.
According to Steve Garrett, a community development planner with the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program, Alleghany numbers indicate there was a detailed study of 40 miles of waterways, a limited detailed study of 19 miles of waterways, 26 new FIRM panels, 773 new base flood elevations, 335 printed cross sections, three square miles of 1 percent flood hazard area and 236 square miles of county area. It was noted that the effective maps for the county were actually first issued in July 1, 1977.
It was pointed out that the changes on the new flood maps, such as flood zones, boundaries and base flood elevations, would not affect flood insurance policies until the effective date of the FIRM, a date which would be established by FEMA at a later time.
During the overview, Garrett noted the purpose of a national flood insurance program is three-fold: to make flood insurance available; to identify floodplains and areas that are at-risk of flooding; and to provide guidance, a framework and standards to help communities manage floodplains.
Benefits of having flood insurance are also three-fold for participating communities, according to Garrett's information. One, flood insurance can be sold and renewed within the community; two, federal agencies can approve loans and grants for acquisition or construction within special flood hazard areas (SFHAs); and a third benefit being state and federal disaster assistance becomes available for flood-damaged structures.
About The Mapping Program
The state's push to update its floodplain maps was created in 1999, in the wake of Hurricane Floyd. The matter exposed limitations of dated flood hazard data and maps.
At the time of Hurricane Floyd, 75 percent of the state's flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) were five years or older. FIRMs illustrated the extent of flood hazards in communities, including floodplains, floodways and flood elevations. Meanwhile, 55 percent of the state's FIRMs were 10 years or older and 80 percent of the properties affected by Floyd were not shown as being in flood hazard areas.
Goals of the program include reducing the loss of life and property from flooding, providing accurate and efficient map production, providing time and cost-effective map updates, providing an accurate and equitable rate assessment, improving land use planning and development and providing online access to GIS data and maps.
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