New FEMA maps shows slight change in local flood elevation levels

Sun Journal (New Bern, NC)

Feb. 23-- Feb. 23--Craven County homeowners impacted by Hurricane Florence should consider new preliminary flood elevation numbers when rebuilding or elevating their homes, according to representatives with the county's Office of Planning and Inspection.

The preliminary flood elevation maps, which are updated regularly, were produced through a partnership between the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). According to Donald Baumgardner, director with the Office of Planning and Community Development, the maps show only a slight increase in the base flood elevation (BFE) for most areas of the county. The BFE is the regulatory requirement for the elevation or floodproofing of structures and provides a computer-estimated elevation of how far water is anticipated to rise during a flood.

Baumgardner said the maps are based on models that look at the types of storms of that have impacted an area, the direction which they came from, wave runup and other information.

"Pretty much what we're seeing is, for the most part the flood areas are very similar to what we've seen in the past. If there was a change in most cases it was minimal, like one foot," said Baumgardner.

Baumgardner said the flood elevation maps are tied to FEMA's insurance rating system.

He explained that each community in Craven County has its own floodplain ordinance, which includes additional elevation recommendations, known as 'freeboard provisions,' which are generally several feet above the BFE. Homeowners can gain discounts on their insurance policies by agreeing to meet the freeboard provisions.

In 2004, Craven County adopted a 2 foot elevation above the FEMA BFE. Both New Bern, Fairfield Harbour and the Town of River Bend have also adopted a two foot freeboard provision as well, while Trent Woods has not adopted a policy, said Baumgardner. The provision applies only to new structures or homes that are being elevated.

"That's in place to help keep more structures from being inundated in the future. All mechanical equipment, all parts of the building that could be damaged from water, like electrical outlets or hot water heaters, they have to elevated to meet those provisions," he explained.

Baumgardner said homeowners are placed in different insurance rate brackets based on elevation. He said the Federal Flood Insurance Program determined several years ago that one its largest payouts for claims came from people whose homes were situated at or just under the BFE.

"If you live in a community and the BFE is 8 feet, and you have an elevation certificate done and it comes out 7 feet, 7 inches, they're going to rate you at the 8 foot elevation. They give up to six inches of freedom," he noted.

As an example of how the elevation of a home could affect insurance rates, Baumgardner said a homeowner whose house sits at the BFE may pay a premium of $500 annually, while one whose home sits below the BFE may pay $1,000 a year.

According to information from the current flood elevation maps and the new preliminary maps, a number of the water-adjacent, flood-prone areas of Craven County that are now listed at a BFE of 8 feet will be raised to 9 feet under the new maps, while those currently designated at 9 feet will move to 10 feet. In New Bern those areas encompass a large swath of the downtown business and historic districts as well as the Riverside and Woodrow districts. The difference means that homeowners in those areas who want to meet the county's freeboard provision would be required to raise their homes to an elevation of either 11 or 12 feet.

Donnie LaVelle, planner 1 with the county office of Planning and Inspections, said the new flood elevation maps have also added a Velocity Zone designation for areas that may be impacted by storm surge. Though mainly designated as offshore areas, the Velocity Zones carry a BFE of 12 feet on the new maps in areas that currently carry a BFE of 8.

LaVelle said there is no set date for when the new flood elevation maps will be completed and approved. The maps were last updated in 2004, he said.

Surprisingly, noted Baumgardner, the new maps show several areas along the Neuse River in the Harlowe area where the BFE has actually dropped.

"In those areas, believe it or not, in previous storms events we've been through the homes and they were flooded and they were built to a 9 foot elevation," he commented. "Now they're talking about taking that elevation down to a six."

He said, based on concerns expressed by his office, FEMA has made several changes to the preliminary map.

"We feel like, in areas where we're worried about the river flooding, we need to use historic data as well as hydrological modeling, because there may be additional things that have been done that will cause that elevation to go up or possibly go down."

Baumgardner said his office is well aware that news of the flood elevation map changes can cause additional stress to families already overburdened by the recovery process.

"We're not interested in trying to create any more confusion or any more concern for people that are in this recovery mode. Some of them are just now getting contractors and deciding what direction they want to go in," he commented.

Both the current flood elevation maps and the new, preliminary maps can be viewed at https://fris.nc.gov/fris/. To view information for a certain area, click the location on the map and then use the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner. The current map is labeled 'effective' while the new map is designated as 'preliminary. A legend explaining the various color designations can be found in the menu bar at the top center of the page.

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