FEMA to review Fayette’s flood plains

Sept. 01--The Federal Emergency Management Agency will hold a public session to review the latest revisions to the Fayette County flood plain maps from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The maps will be available for viewing in the commissioner's meeting room in the courthouse annex building, at 22 E. Main St. in Uniontown, across from the State Theater.

Roy Shipley, Fayette County Emergency Management director, said the meeting is open to the public and will include members of Shipley's office, the assessment office and the zoning office, as well as FEMA officials.

"This will be to display the preliminary revisions of the flood plain management program," Shipley said.

Fayette County officials say residents can view the map revisions to check whether their properties are now considered as being in a flood zone.

David Bukovan, chief of zoning for Fayette County, said his office keeps copies of the maps for viewing by county property owners.

A notification from FEMA has gone out to the municipal governments in Fayette County outlining the responsibilities required by the federal government.

Each of the communities must review the preliminary flood insurance rate map panels (FIRM) and suggest corrections or comments as soon as possible.

The communities are responsible to reach out to those citizens affected by the changes on the FIRM and inform them of the potential flood insurance implications.

The communities must adopt a new or amended flood plain ordinance that meets the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) minimum requirements or face possible suspension from the NFIP.

FEMA is requesting that communities inform the agency if there are inaccuracies with the boundaries or other information is incorrect.

Officials in Connellsville are sending representatives to the Wednesday session.

Information from the study is available at www.rampp-team.com/pa.htm.

Karl Polacek is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at [email protected] or 724-626-3538.

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