Northwest Bradenton Among Top Areas Vulnerable to Storm Surge

If a hurricane brought storm surge to Manatee County, Northwest Bradenton alone could see more than $1 billion in property damage according to new recently released flood maps produced by FEMA and Manatee County.

Northwest Bradenton's storm surge risks helps put the Sarasota-Bradenton area along with four other Florida metro areas on a national Top 10 list for the number of homes in the danger zone for hurricane storm surge. There are nearly 7,500 properties at risk in the 34209 zip code alone.

The list is bad news for the area on several fronts — but is also a reminder to homeowners in coastal areas to prepare for storns and to protect their property.

Manatee County residents are invited to look at newly revised preliminary digital flood insurance rate maps for the county at an open house Monday, June 11. The new maps show the extent to which areas are at risk for flooding, and are used to help determine flood insurance and building requirements.

The open house will offer Manatee County residents an opportunity to not only see the preliminary maps, but to also learn about their risk of flooding and ask questions about what the new maps will mean for their property. Residents can meet one-on-one with a variety of specialists who will be available to talk about flood insurance, engineering and building permits.   

Monday's open house will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the , 902 33^rd Street Court West.

The new maps were produced through a partnership between Manatee County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They are more precise than older maps because better flood hazard and risk data and the latest science available have been applied to make the maps more accurate, with the ultimate goal of protecting property owners and the community from the risks associated with flooding.

Flood risks change over time with an increase in construction and development, environmental changes, floodplain widening or shifting, and an an increase in construction and development making it vital to update maps periodically.

According to the newly released report, nearly 127,000 homes along the Gulf Coast from Bradenton to Englewood are at risk from storm surge. Based on 2012 real estate values that is a total financial exposure of $16 billion.

“Flood maps are being updated for communities across the country,” said Tom Gerstenberger, Manatee County Engineering Division Manager. “This is a collaborative process, during which FEMA works closely with local communities to incorporate the latest and most accurate information into the maps so that they better reflect the risk that communities face.”

The reports author: CoreLogic told the Herald-Tribune:

"It's very important to understand risk when we're looking at natural hazards. These are things we need to evaluate at the personal level, but also the property level," said Tom Jeffery, senior hazard scientist in CoreLogic's Madison, Wis., office and co-author of the report.

Property owners, renters, Realtors, mortgage lenders and insurance agents are encouraged to attend the open house to meet with specialists and ask questions, and learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation within their communities.

Manatee County’s preliminary maps have not yet been officially adopted and will become effective after a public comment period. This period allows property owners to submit comments and appeals if they can show that any part of the maps is in error. Specialists will be available at the open house to address questions that residents may have about this process.

While the timeline for adopting the final maps is still tentative, visit http://www.mymanatee.org/gisapps/mapviewer/index.jsp?type=dfirm for updates as they are made available.

By law, federally regulated or insured mortgage lenders require flood insurance on properties that are located in areas at high risk of flooding. Even people living outside of high-risk areas can experience flooding, which is the most common and costly natural disaster in the U.S.  

The CoreLogic report shows that in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, 70 percent of homes vulnerable to storm surge are not in the federal flood zone, where mortgaged homes are required to carry flood insurance.

That’s why everyone, regardless of their flood zone, is encouraged to take steps to financially protect themselves from such a disaster. Flood insurance is available at affordable rates through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a voluntary program administered by FEMA.

Standard homeowner’s, business owner’s, and renter’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage, so flood insurance is an important consideration for everyone. NFIP policies can be purchased from any state licensed property and casualty insurance agents.  Visit www.floodsmart.gov  for more information about flood insurance and to locate a local agent.