Hurricane determination letters now sent

On Oct. 27, the City of Crystal River mailed certified letters to owners of properties deemed to have been substantially damaged by Hurricane Idalia. Owners of properties that were flooded but not substantially damaged have also been mailed letters informing of that fact. This is according to a news release issued Oct. 31.

Instructions on steps that may need to be taken in either situation is included. The request is made to allow seven days to receive the determination letter. Questions regarding determinations can be made to Growth Management at 352-220-0809.

Why this matters

As part of the National Flood Insurance Program, Crystal River hired AtkinsRealis to perform substantial damage estimates on all city buildings. This is a requirement on the part of the city to have this assessment conducted in order to be in compliance with the program. Doing so provides for lower flood insurance premiums for property owners within city limits.

According to the news release," … A building is considered substantially damaged when the cost to repair the damage is equal to or greater than 50 percent of the building's value." The news release went on to state that such a property must be brought into compliance with the current city building code and city floodplain ordinance. In the case of the latter, the " … floodplain ordinance requires that the building be elevated so that the bottom floor is above the base flood elevation for the area."

For more information, go to www.crystalriverfl.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcrystalriver.