Cranberry homes could lose flood-hazard designation when FEMA udpates flood plain maps

Sept. 13--Proposed changes to federal flood plain maps would drop more than 180 homes from Cranberry's flood-hazard area, saving those residents thousands in insurance premiums.

"Rates have skyrocketed," said township waterworks coordinator Tim Schutzman. "It's tough on a family trying to keep a budget with increased rates."

The maps show areas where there's a 1 percent or more chance the land will flood in the course of a year. The updated documents would drop the number of residences in the hazard area from 252 to 70.

According to federal rules, property owners with a mortgage and within the flood-hazard areas must have flood insurance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is accepting comments on the maps until Nov. 8. Local municipalities are taking comments from residents and then will pass them along to FEMA.

Massive flooding during 2004's Hurricane Ivan shouldn't have much of an effect on the location of the flood-hazard area because federal authorities consider that a once-in-a-century event, according to local officials.

"We're not quite sure what the total changes will be, but whatever happens, it's going to be more accurate than what's out here now," said David Johnston, the county's planning director.

Butler County's maps were drawn up in the mid-1970s.

FEMA is updating the maps for the first time in decades with satellite and engineering surveys. Johnston said the new maps will be more accurate because they'll show new roads, elevation of properties and other factors that affect whether a property is at risk for flooding.

The county requires municipalities to have developers of large-scale projects show how they'd mitigate storm-water runoff to keep heavy rains out of area creeks and streams to lessen the risk of flooding, Johnston said. The maps will help in planning development, he said.

Other changes have lessened the chances of flooding, Johnston said, such as Butler raising the height of bridges as they are replaced.

Schutzman said it's likely the maps will be approved in August 2015. Many residents of Cranberry's Chadborne Court housing plan would lose flood hazard designation, Schutzman said.

After Ivan, there hasn't been much flooding in Zelienople, said borough Manager Don Pepe, despite a lack of remediation work on the Connoquenessing Creek. He said that the new maps won't make a significant change within the borough, as flooding is confined to the lower end of town by the Zelienople-Harmony Sportsmens Club.

Bill Vidonic is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5621 or bvidonic@tribweb.com.

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