FEMA's new flood plain maps available to view

SHREWSBURY- Residents who may need flood insurance should review the newly updated preliminary flood plain maps for Monmouth County.

The Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) held a meeting at the Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library on March 17 to display and explain the new flood plain maps to officials from local municipalities.

The Monday meeting was the first of several "New Flood Maps" meetings in Monmouth County to be hosted by FEMA.

Richard Einhorn, a natural hazard program specialist for FEMA, gave officials and residents an overview of the new mapping process and the basics of flood insurance.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a voluntary program that most of the communities in the state of New Jersey have volunteered to participate in, according to Einhorn. Flood insurance is available to residents who live within flood hazard areas as well as those who do not, so long as their communities participate in flood insurance programs.

Einhorn added that about 97 percent of communities in New Jersey are participating in the NFIP.

"With this program, the town has petitioned FEMAthrough an application that they promise to pass a local law that enforces building standards," Einhorn said. "In turn we allow flood insurance to be sold within the community. If it wasn't for our program, there would be no flood insurance except for what is out there in the private market, which is much more than the rates that are set by FEMAin the National Flood Insurance Program."

The NFIP coverage has a maximum limit of $250,000 for a single-family dwelling, according to Einhorn, who said that the limit might soon be raised.

Homeowners are urged to check the flood maps in order to determine whether they are eligible for a "grandfathering" provision.

Those residents that were not in flood hazard areas on the old maps but are now in the new maps must purchase a flood insurance policy before the new maps become effective, according to Einhorn.

"That way you will be grandfathered in at a lower rate," Einhorn said. "If you wait for this map to become effective, there is nothing we can do for you. If you want a lower rate, you have to have that purchased prior to the map [becoming effective]."

When asked by a resident if global warming was a factor in the remapping decision, Einhorn responded that it was not.

"It was mandated by Congress because we were working with old data that does not substantially rate the risk," Einhorn said. "There is change in the risk based on development and run-off. We have better information that we can better map the risk."

Einhorn stressed that it was important for people not to wait to protect themselves.

"I urge the community officials to really take a look at these new maps and the old one and see if you can detect just by eye, are there any areas that are really increased?" Einhorn said. "You need to get this word out because of the insurance implications. We have time, at least nine months, to work on this."

In a review of what the changes mean to Oceanport, Capt. Mauro "Buzz" Baldanza of the Oceanport police said that the new maps showed changes in zone coverage areas that meant an increased risk for flooding in certain locations in the borough.

"People will have to be conscious that there are changes and check the map," Baldanza said. "They may be able to get grandfathered in."

Baldanza said that he would continue to evaluate the data, but added that Oceanport exceeds FEMA's elevation requirement.

The NFIP requires that all municipalities in compliance pass ordinances to regulate buildings erected in flood hazard zones in order for residents to receive flood insurance.

FEMA is halfway through a five-year initiative to update all of the nation's flood maps, according to a release put out by the agency. This "MapModernization" project is mandated by Congress and uses aerial photography and advanced topography technologies to produce maps in an aerial, digital format that makes it easy to see roads and buildings in relation to flood risk zones.

Following the publication of notices by FEMA, there will be a 90-day appeal period in which communities can challenge new flood data due to technical information about flood elevations or local topography. The new maps become final six months after the last appeal is resolved.

The new, preliminary maps and flood insurance reports are available online at rmc.mapmodteam.com/RMC2/Counties Monmouth.htm as well as at local municipal offices.