New flood plain maps going into effect in Pendleton

Sept. 20--New maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be released in November show Pendleton's flood zone has shrunk.

The Pendleton town board, with assistance from the town's engineering firm, will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at the town hall. Attendees will learn about map changes that have taken place and will be able to ask questions. Adoption of revised FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps will become effective on Nov. 3.

FEMA originally released a series of proposed updated floodplain maps for municipalities in Niagara County in October 2008. Many property owners in Pendleton opposed the proposal, which expanded the footprint of the Tonawanda Creek floodplain boundary in the town and added about 185 structures that would require FEMA flood insurance.

The town recruited its engineer to gather additional elevation data and filed an appeal with FEMA to shrink the boundary, but the new maps went into effect in September 2010 anyway, replacing maps from 1982.

Subsequently, the town hired GDH, its engineering firm, to update the hydraulic model for Tonawanda Creek and propose new flood maps. FEMA accepted the town's model in September 2016 and the town started taking the necessary steps to get the new maps adopted.

The new maps reflect a lower regulated flood base, potentially removing an estimated 120 structures from the floodplain and reducing the overall footprint for properties located along Tonawanda Creek between Bear Ridge Road and the Erie Canal, according to FEMA.

"This is great news for many property owners in the town of Pendleton and many will be relieved that this process is finally coming to a conclusion," town Supervisor Joel Maerten said. "This is one of the issues that we all will be glad to see finally resolved and we will continue to always do whatever we can to advocate for Pendleton residents."

Because of Pendleton's work on Tonawanda Creek floodmapping, the neighboring Town of Amherst is getting new maps as well, according to Andrew Martin, FEMA spokesman.

The updated maps are available on FEMA's map service center at msc.fema.gov.

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