On Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 23 and 24, residents and business leaders in Pender County communities will have an opportunity to review and discuss the latest flood hazard and flood risk data.
Available digitally, preliminary flood hazard information can be layered on top of the county’s parcel data so property owners can better determine potential risks to their land. Residents can see the maps Sept. 23 between 4 and 6 p.m. at the Pender County Hampstead Annex Auditorium located at
15060 US Highway 17 in Hampstead
. On Thursday, Sept. 24 from 4 to 6 p.m., the maps will be available at Pender County Administrative Building Public Meeting Room at
805 South Walker Street in Burgaw
.
Residents also can access the flood hazard data online at
http://fris.nc.gov/fris/
. Digital flood hazard data also can be viewed by calling the Pender County Planning Department at 910-259-1202 or the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program (NCFMP) at 919-715-5711.
The September 23 and 24 public meetings will provide an opportunity for residents to see the results of the revised studies and new flood hazard areas. County and municipal employees will be on hand to help residents locate particular properties from the flood hazard layer and determine their level of flood risk. Representatives from the NCFMP will also be available to answer questions about the flood hazard update process, flood insurance coverage and floodplain management. Attendees also may see a demonstration of the North Carolina Flood Risk Information System.
The North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program was established in 2000 with a mandate to update flood maps for all 100 counties. Through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state was charged with creating and maintaining the flood insurance maps for all North Carolina communities. Since 2003, the NCFMP has analyzed, updated and digitized the flood data for all 100 counties and associated communities. The latest flood map updates are based on recent studies and local input.
Only those portions of the map that have been affected by revised streams have been updated. Therefore, some communities in the county will not have new flood hazard data, although adjacent counties may have some updates.
For more information on an individual property’s flood risk, visit
http://fris.nc.gov/fris/
.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on the public meeting, contact Kyle Breuer, Pender County floodplain administrator, 910-259-1202 or Randy Mundt, State Floodplain Mapping Program outreach coordinator, 919-825-2339.