Flood insurance rate map changes

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is moving forward with updates to Eddy County’s flood insurance rate map, and the period for public comments and appeals is officially underway.

The flood maps FEMA produces are meant to be a tool that allows communities to know which areas have the highest risk of flooding, thereby allowing for the development of strategies for reducing flood risk.

The flood mapping process is a requirement for any community that wishes to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program – which makes flood insurance available to homes and businesses – such as Eddy County.

As the name suggests, changes to the flood insurance rate map could impact flood insurance rates. The map also allows mortgage lenders to determine insurance requirements, for governments to determine building code requirements, and more.

Eddy County commissioners have met with FEMA representatives several times this year to continue the process of updating the county’s flood map, which was last updated in 2017.

The maps are created by using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and other data to map where water naturally tends to flow. From that information, various zones are created to indicate where flooding is more or less likely.

For example, Zone A indicates where flooding is considered “high-risk.”

The current 2017 map created by FEMA unsurprisingly marks areas on either side of the James River as being in Zone A, including some homes on 5th Avenue North in New Rockford and homes on River Drive just north of the river.

Any home or business that exists within these “high-risk” flood areas, and has a mortgage from a government-backed lender, is required to have flood insurance as a condition of that loan.

Currently, the process of creating a new flood map for Eddy County is at the preliminary stage, meaning the preliminary map has been created and released, but isn’t scheduled to be final until the summer of 2024.

Between now and then, a 90-day comment period has been scheduled for residents to submit requests or appeals. That period begins on December 18 and ends on March 17, 2024.

Lisa Thompson, Eddy County Emergency Manager and Floodplain Coordinator, said the only mapping changes being made this year are to New Rockford and the surrounding area.

“A lot of the other areas have such minimal impact that they did not make any changes,” said Thompson.

According to Thompson, of the area where mapping updates were made, most of the changes are to the area south of New Rockford, near the railroad tracks and baseball diamond.

Such areas aren’t near the Sheyenne or James Rivers, but could still be some of the first areas to flood due to heavy rainfall and/or snow melt in the spring.

However, Thompson said she doesn’t expect this round of updates to the flood insurance rate map to have much of an impact on Eddy County residents.

Nevertheless, those who wish to see the preliminary map and potentially take advantage of the 90-day comment period are free to do so.

For information on the statutory 90-day period provided for appeals, as well as a complete listing of the communities affected and the locations where the flood insurance rate maps are available for review, visit FEMA’s website at http://www.floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/BFE_Status/bfe_main.asp.

Or, simply place a call to the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange toll free at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627).

Additional information about flood insurance rate maps (FIRM) is available at fema.gov.