Friday April 16, City presents updated preliminary flood maps to Jacksonville property owners.
CITY PRESENTS UPDATED PRELIMINARY FLOOD MAPS TO JACKSONVILLE PROPERTY OWNERS
"Mapping the Risk" initiative better defines existing flood risks
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 16, 2010 -The City of Jacksonville/Duval County is beginning the public outreach component of its "Mapping the Risk" initiative with the release of updated preliminary flood maps of the entire community for review by property owners. "Mapping the Risk," Duval County's flood map modernization project, is part of a nationwide Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-sponsored effort to update the nation's aging flood hazard maps to reflect the most current flood risks and utilize the latest technologies.
A joint effort between the city and FEMA, in cooperation with private sector partners, this multi-year project has re-examined Jacksonville's flood zones to develop detailed, digital flood hazard maps. Through this process, residents, businesses and local government will have up-to-date, reliable, Internet-accessible information about flood risks on a property-by-property basis. The updated maps replace those which are more than 20-years-old, or in some cases, provide information about rural areas that have never been mapped in detail. The flood map modernization project is mandated and funded by the federal government and is being undertaken in consultation with property owners, community associations, private sector partners and affected industries.
Over time, water flow and drainage patterns have changed dramatically due to surface erosion, land use and natural forces. The likelihood of inland, riverine and coastal flooding in certain areas has changed along with these factors. Therefore, all property owners and those with a stake in Jacksonville's future should be aware of how the maps are changing and why - as well as how the changes will affect residents and business owners alike. All property owners will learn that their risk is either lower or higher than they thought it was. The maps do not change the risk. Rather, this information better defines the risk to help property owners determine the proper flood insurance coverage needed.
Web site:
Easily accessible information about the potential changes is available through a new Web site - http://www.mappingtherisk.com. All property owners are encouraged to visit the site to learn about potential changes that may affect their property.
To view updated preliminary flood maps for each property, visit http://www.mappingtherisk.com and select "Am I in a Flood Zone?". This will direct the visitor to a page where they may enter their real estate number, name and/or property address. In turn, this will bring up information about the property's "Preliminary Flood Zone" status and provide a digitized map of the parcel. The Web site also provides a wealth of information for property owners, insurance agents, real estate agents and developers, as well as information on public meetings and the process for appealing the preliminary maps.
Public Meetings:
To provide the opportunity to meet one-on-one with property owners about the preliminary updated maps, the City of Jacksonville will host a series of open house-style public meetings during the month of May. City and FEMA representatives will be available to pull up individual property owner's maps and answer questions.
For convenience, the meetings are scheduled in six locations throughout the community. Residents may attend any event. The schedule is as follows:
- Southwest:
o 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 4
o West Regional Library, 1425 Chaffee Road S.
- Greater Arlington and the Beaches:
o 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 11
o Regency Regional Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd.
- North:
o 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 13
o Highlands Regional Library, 1826 Dunn Ave
- Urban Core:
o 5-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 18
o Main Library, 303 N. Laura St.
- Southeast:
o 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 20
o Mandarin Regional Library, 3330 Kori Road
- Northwest:
o 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 25
o Dallas-Graham Branch Library, 2304 N. Myrtle Ave.
Map Appeals Process and Adoption:
In early summer, following the public meetings, a 90-day public comment period will begin (date TBA) to allow property owners to file appeals and protests should they disagree with their property's updated preliminary map. Following the 90-day period, legislation will be filed with the local municipalities and the Jacksonville City Council. Pending a vote from these bodies, the preliminary maps will be adopted as final and will fully replace existing maps in late 2010. At that time, new insurance
requirements will take affect.
Flood insurance:
It is important to note that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has "grandfather" rules to recognize policyholders who have either built in compliance with the flood map or who maintain continuous coverage. These rules allow such policyholders to benefit in the rating for that building:
- Grandfathering is available for new purchasers as well as existing customers.
- Purchasing flood insurance before the map revision is adopted allows property owners to save on insurance.
If a property has been designated in a high flood zone:
- The property owner will be required to purchase a flood policy if they carry a mortgage from a federally regulated lender.
- If the owner does not carry a mortgage, they should still protect the home with flood insurance. National statistics show that homeowners are three times more likely to have damage by a flood than by fire.
- Customers who buy a policy before maps are adopted and maintain coverage can retain the lower-risk zone rate, saving them as much as 40 percent for the life of the policy.
- A policy can be assigned to future property owner.
For more information, visit www.mappingtherisk.com or call 630-CITY (2489). For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/1870530/. Contact Information: 904-630-2489
