FEMA plans virtual flood map open house

VW independent/submitted information

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will host a virtual flood map open house on Thursday, March 4, for communities in Van Wert County.

The open house will give local residents the chance to review preliminary versions of a recently completed Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report and its accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).

The FIS and FIRMS provide base flood (also known as the 1-percent-annual-chance event) information, designate areas that are subject to significant flood hazards within areas of the county, and offer information that public may use when permitting development in the floodplain.

At the virtual open house, representatives from various local, state, and federal agencies will provide the most current information about flood risk, flood insurance, floodplain development regulations, and the process for floodplain mapping within Van wert County.

The newly prepared preliminary floodplain maps can also be reviewed at the meeting. Once the maps become effective, they will be used as the basis for flood insurance ratings, as well as local flood protection regulations adopted under the National Flood Insurance Program.

FEMA also intends that they be used as tools to assist planning processes and outreach efforts to quickly respond to, and recover from, future events. 

The county virtual open house will be held from 5-7 p.m. March 4 via Zoom. The meeting ID number is 970 1814 0144, and the password is 033331. The meeting can be accessed at https://stantec.zoom.us/j97018140144?pwd=akF4cmdzMmFjd2NnWkJrRG1QRko0Zz09.

Property owners, realtors, lenders, and insurance agents are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation within their community. Digital files of the Preliminary FIRM and FIS report can be downloaded from www.fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata.