Digital Preliminary Flood Maps for St. Lucie County Ready for Public Viewing, Public Workshop Slated for Sept. 13 at Fenn Center

FORT PIERCE, Fla., Aug. 28 -- St. Lucie County issued the following news:

Newly revised draft preliminary digital flood insurance rate maps for coastal areas of St. Lucie County will be available for residents to review on Wednesday, Sept. 13 from 4 - 7 p.m. at the Havert L. Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave.

Flood maps show the extent to which areas are at risk for flooding. When updated maps become effective, they help determine flood insurance and building requirements. St. Lucie County residents can check the changes to the maps at http://gis.stlucieco.gov/floodupdate.

Residents and property owners will have the opportunity to see the preliminary coastal maps, learn about their risk of flooding and ask questions about what the new maps will mean for their property. Residents can meet one-on-one with specialists to discuss flood insurance, engineering, building permits and more. Home and business owners, renters, real estate agents, mortgage lenders, surveyors and insurance agents are encouraged to attend.

The new preliminary coastal maps were developed through a partnership between the communities and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They are based on updated modeling data and show coastal flood hazards more accurately than older maps. The goal is to inform property owners and the community of their flood risks. Over time, flood risks change due to construction and development, environmental changes, watershed conditions and other factors. Flood maps are updated periodically to reflect these changes.

By law, federally regulated or insured mortgage lenders require flood insurance on buildings that are located in areas at high risk of flooding. Standard homeowners, business owners, and renters' insurance policies typically don't cover flood damage, so flood insurance is an important consideration for everyone. Flood insurance policies can be purchased from any state-licensed property and casualty insurance agent. Call the National Flood Insurance Program's Help Center at 800-427-4661 for more information.

If an individual should need any reasonable accommodations, please contact the Fenn Center staff at 772-462-1521 to make arrangements not later than three days prior to the open house.