Officials Upset About Flood Insurance Map

May 15--Since the real estate market crashed, Danielle Gibson's home in the Eureka and Middlebelt area of Romulus has taken a hit.

Gibson, 41, a barber, bought her house for $130,000 eight years ago but today it is worth about $70,000. Now, her home and those of the owners of 1,000 residential and commercial parcels in Romulus have taken another hit.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says their properties are in a floodplain, requiring anyone with a federally insured mortgage to purchase flood insurance to reduce risks to the lenders.

Property owners are telling city officials that the insurance cost is running from $1,000 to $7,000 a year. Gibson said she has to pay $1,600 a year for the insurance in addition to the $1,000 she pays annually for her homeowner's insurance.

"I've been highly, highly upset about that; my house has never flooded," Gibson said Monday.

Romulus officials are challenging the FEMA map, which they say is outdated. City officials are hosting a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Romulus High School, 9650 Wayne Road, to discuss options for residents purchasing flood insurance and to update them on the city's fight.

Robert McCraight, Romulus building and safety director, said the city commissioned a $75,000 hydraulic study that indicates that 40% of the 1,000 parcels should not be in a floodplain.

He said besides the high cost of flood insurance for homeowners, economic development can be limited in areas in vacant sections of the city with the designation. In 2004, Congress asked FEMA to update all insurance rate maps.

The city was mapped for floodplains as part of the general mapping of Wayne County that went into effect in February, said Erin Maloney, a civil engineer for FEMA in Region V in Chicago.

"The federal government is forcing this process down our throats," said Tim Keyes, Romulus economic development director.

Les Thomas, the state National Floodplain Insurance Program coordinator, said the lenders are obligated to make sure that a loan is covered by flood insurance. That's the federal law, and banking regulations require it.

The floodplain areas include the area in the North Branch Ecorse Creek Drain in the northeast part of the city, Hale Creek and Carter Drain in the southeast section and the McClaughrey Drain at Hannan and Ecorse roads.

Contact Cecil Angel: 313-223-4531 or [email protected]

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