County Sponsors New FEMA Flood Map Status Update

At the request of Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan, representatives from 23 municipalities impacted by flooding, including New Milford, met with FEMA representatives Tuesday for a status update on the Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) FEMA flood maps.

According to FEMA representative Mark Roberts, the new ABFE maps were not a result of Super Storm Sandy--the process of updating the maps began in 2008. However, Super Storm Sandy expedited their release, resulting in three sets of advisory maps.   

• Preliminary elevation map (released Dec. 2012)
• Preliminary work map (to be released May/June 2013)  
• Preliminary regulatory map (to be released Sept. 2013)

Roberts said that each map will bring the details into sharper focus so that the final map will be a useful tool.

According to Roberts, once the preliminary regulatory map is released, municipalities will then begin commenting and providing feedback, a process anticipated by officials to take approximately 18 months.

Following the release of the first map in Dec. 2012, Hekemian's engineering expert, Michael Dipple, told the New Milford Zoning Board that according to the hastily released first map, New Milford is not included within the outlined boundaries of FEMA's flood zone. He also added that New Milford is affected by fluvial flooding and not tidal flooding.

Dipple explained that elevations 8 and 11 are the baselines FEMA uses to determine flooding areas. "The area we want to develop in New Milford is elevation 14," Dipple said. Although he admitted that the FEMA map had come no farther north than Riverside Square Mall in Hackensack.

Rising Cost of Flood Insurance 

Bob Duran spoke directly to the changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Established in 1968, Congress created the NFIP because most homeowner's insurance did not cover flooding, leaving most property owners financially devastated. One of the key requirements to participate in the program was that municipalities had to adopt standards for new construction and development. With flood risks, and the associated costs, increasing, the subsidy program was becoming costly to maintain.

Which is why in July 2012, Congress enacted the Flood Insurance Reform Act that essentially removed the federal government from subsidizing the flood insurance program.

Key provisions of the legislation will require the NFIP to raise rates to reflect true flood risk, make the program more financially stable, and change how Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) updates impact policyholders. The changes will mean premium rate increases for some – but not all -- policyholders over time.

According to Duran, these are the changes to the NFIP:

• Effective Jan. 1, 2013, owners of non-primary/secondary residences in a Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) will see a 25 percent increase annually until rates reflect true risk.
• Effective Oct. 1, 2013, owners of property which has experienced severe or repetitive flooding will see a 25 percent rate increase annually until rates reflect true risk.
• Effective Oct. 1, 2013, owners of business properties in a Special Flood Hazard Area will see 25 percent rate increase annually until rates reflect true risk.

Owners of primary residences in SFHA's will be able to keep their subsidized rates unless or until:

• Property is sold
• Policy lapses
• Property suffers severe repetitive loss
• A new policy is purchased

Officials said that grandfathering changes are expected in 2014.

The FEMA representatives stressed that only local officials can deem a property substantially damaged or a casualty of repetitive flooding. A house is deemed substantially damaged if the costs to repair or rebuild is 50 percent or more of its pre-disaster market value. A house is deemed repetitive flooding if it was damaged by flooding at least twice in the last 10 years.

Following Hurricane Irene, four homes in New Milford were deemed substantially damaged and one repetitive flooding. All owners took part in the Blue Acres buyout program.

Follow Patch for updates as the new FEMA maps are released.

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