Lincoln County planner: Flood plain maps are flawed [Ruidoso News, N.M.]

Oct. 25--Maps designating flood plains from Ruidoso Downs to Hondo Valley for the National Flood Insurance Program are flawed and must be corrected, Lincoln County's planning director said.

The county received a letter from the Federal Emergency Management AgencyOct. 16, about mapping requirements and detailing the issue. County Planning Director Curt Temple, who also is county flood plains manager, told county commissioners at a meeting earlier this month that an error was found in the original mapping for elevations in a detailed study area from about the middle of Ruidoso Downs to the intersection of U.S. 380 with U.S. 70.

"They're going to redo what we approved last November," Temple said. "We had a surveyor go out to do an elevation certificate survey to add on to some people's property, who live in a flood zone and he could not get the figures to come out right when he tried to tie into the benchmarks."

The surveyor sent the information to the contractor who created the original mapping throughout the valley, Temple said. "It appears there's about an 800-foot difference where they left out a section of surveying. It's wrong on the on the map and will change the elevations," he said. "So FEMA suspended issuance of the final maps pending (the contractor) checking out all of the data to see if everything works out right."

He wasn't sure how the error might impact other areas, Temple said. When the maps are corrected, the commission will have to adopt a new ordinance

recognizing the new flood plain maps, he said. Until then, people must work with the latest information

"It's going to be tough, because the elevations we have now are really messed up," he said. "If someone wants to add on or build, it will be tougher until this is worked out to get above the base flood depth. The maps won't be approved, but will be latest available data once they work out this problem and put out revised maps."

In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program to help provide a means for property owners to financially protect themselves. The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP. Participating communities agree to adopt and enforce ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA requirements to reduce the risk of flooding. Participation includes the adoption of maps designating food plains and regulations governing construction in those areas, including that homes are built above the base flood depth.

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