New FEMA maps put more in Northampton County in flood plains [The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.]

July 12--Abby Burns stood on the porch of her Williams Township home perched on a hill that slopes down to a small tributary of the Delaware River.

Extending her arms, she asked, "Did you see my little creek? It's like this wide. You can jump across it."

But according to a new Federal Emergency Management study, the small creek that snakes a half-mile north of the Delaware River into her yard poses enough of a risk to put her property in a flood plain.

"Right now, we don't have flood insurance, but we'll have to get it," she said. "There are so many new things we'll have to deal with. What will happen to the resale value of the home? We are shocked and surprised. This came out of nowhere."

Burns is among hundreds of Northampton County residents whose homes are within newly designated flood-prone areas, according to a new FEMA study. No other area counties are being updated this year.

FEMA is redrawing maps for flood plains across the country, and with Northampton on the list, some area townships are alerting residents that big changes -- which could affect their properties and insurance rates -- are on the way.

The new flood-hazard maps show which properties in dozens of communities are likely to the hardest hit by a flood.

The federal government rolled out its preliminary map for Northampton County in December and posted it on its website: http://www.rampp-team.com/pa.htm. Though it's subject to revisions and residents' appeals, the latest flood-hazard study updates regional insurance rate maps, which could increase costs for some residents and restrict what property owners can do or build in flood-prone areas.

"The cost of flooding for the country continues to rise, and we want to show people where the risks are," said Dave Bollinger, FEMA's regional mitigation outreach coordinator.

But without a notification letter, some of the county's residents may be hard-pressed to find out whether their property is in the new flood plain zone. While the county recommends a notification process, there is no federal mandate that requires townships to send out letters to affected residents.

In 2004, at least three residents along Willow Park Road in Bethlehem Township -- one of the heaviest-hit areas during the flooding from Hurricane Ivan -- didn't know their flood risk had been changed by FEMA, which had updated its flood plain map in 2001. Without flood insurance, those residents were left to shoulder thousands of dollars in damage to their homes.

There was no notification procedure then, and there is no mandate for alerting residents now.

"Unfortunately in Pennsylvania, there is no requirement to send letters out to these folks," Bollinger said. "We find heroes -- someone within the area like the planning commission or emergency management agency who has the capabilities to know who is in and who is out."

He said FEMA leaves it up to the townships to "look after the health, safety and welfare" of their residents.

Many townships are alerting residents to the changes, sending letters, posting maps in township buildings or adding notifications to websites.

The revised maps may change a flood-risk classification for some property owners, adding or removing residents from a "special flood-hazard" zone, an area in which a "100-year flood" has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year -- the equivalent of a 26 percent chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage.

It's a designation that forces most homeowners with mortgages to get flood insurance.

According to an estimator on the National Flood Insurance Program's website, Burns and her husband, John Hoch, would have to spend nearly $2,000 a year to insure their home.

Burns, who operates a day-care business from her home, never thought she had a reason to get flood insurance.

"We've never had one drop of water fall into our basement," said Burns, who learned that she can dispute FEMA's findings.

Bollinger said property owners have a right to challenge the new maps, but it is up to the individual to present enough proof to convince a panel of FEMA scientists that a change is warranted.

Bollinger said Northampton County flood-hazard maps are not finalized. Though the initial study on the county was complete in 2011, the municipalities and the county have a chance to make revisions and appeal changes, because new maps compiled by FEMA contractors are not always precise.

The changes to the maps are not slated to become final until May 2013, he said.

Still, some townships -- such as Williams and Lower Saucon -- have been active in getting the word out to residents early enough to give homeowners in the redrawn flood plains a chance to voice their concerns.

In the spring, Williams Township zoning officer Richard Adams mailed 37 letters to homeowners whose properties now lie in a flood-hazard zone. A dozen more residents learned their properties are now out of high-risk areas.

"Notification is not mandated, but it's a public service that we think is necessary," said Adams, adding that some residents wouldn't otherwise realize they need flood insurance. "We thought it was important for people to know they are in a flood zone."

After surveying the damage from Hurricane Katrina, he said he was surprised to see just how accurate the maps were.

To get the word out, Northampton County Emergency Management Services held two meetings earlier this year to inform township officials of the changes and recommend they notify residents.

Angel Gillette, manager of hazard mitigation and disaster recovery for Northampton County Emergency Management Services, said residents should head to municipal buildings to review maps and find out if their properties are in a flood-hazard zone.

Though it's uncertain just how many more properties have been added into the flood plain within the county, Gillette said all homeowners -- even those out of hazard zones -- should buy flood insurance.

She said that 20 percent of all flood claims submitted to the National Flood Insurance Program come from property owners outside of a special flood-hazard area.

"Oftentimes people living outside of flood plains think they don't need flood insurance," she said. "That is just not the case. All homes are vulnerable to flood damages, which typically aren't covered under a homeowners policy."

Hoch, Abby Burns' husband, would rather avoid the expense. He's baffled as to why FEMA's flood-hazard map is expanding to include his Old Wells Road property, especially because his house sits on a hill, several feet above the nearby creek.

"I can understand them requiring people living on the Delaware River to get insurance," he said. "But my house isn't going to flood in a billion years."

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610-778-2283

NEW FLOOD PLAIN MAPS

-- HOW TO TELL IF YOU'RE IN A ZONE: http://www.rampp-team.com/pa.htm.

-- HOW TO APPEAL: http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/fmc_loma.shtm.

-- WHAT: FEMA is redrawing maps for flood plains across the country, including Northampton County, that show areas likely to be the hardest hit by a flood.

-- WHY: The new maps reflect additional areas that have been affected by flood damage in recent years. They also show areas no longer considered at risk.

FLOOD INSURANCE: Homes and buildings in high-risk flood areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders must carry flood insurance.

-- INFORMATION: 1-800-720-1093 or visit http://www.floodsmart.gov.

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