Residents and business leaders in New Hanover County communities will have two opportunities in the next month 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 Thursday, June 25 between 4 and 6 p.m. at the New Hanover County Government Center’s Development Services Center lobby. On Wednesday, July 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. maps will available at the Carolina Beach Town Council Room, 1121 N. Lake Park Boulevard..
Residents also can access the flood maps online at
http://fris.nc.gov/fris/
. Digital flood hazard data also can be viewed by calling the New Hanover County Planning and Zoning Department at 910-798-7165 or the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program (NCFMP) at 919-715-5711.
The June 25 and July 15 public meetings provide opportunities for residents to see the results of the revised studies and new flood hazard areas. County and municipal employees will be available to help residents locate particular properties and determine their level of flood risk. Representatives from the NCFMP will make a short presentation on the flood study process, how the new digital maps can be used to reduce future flood losses, and how the preliminary data may impact flood insurance and floodplain management. Attendees also may see a demonstration of the North Carolina Flood Risk Information System. Following the presentation, state emergency management representatives will be available to answer questions about the hazard data update process, flood insurance coverage and floodplain management.
The N.C. Floodplain Mapping Program was established in 2000 with a mandate to update flood data for all 100 counties. Through a partnership with FEMA, 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 preliminary flood hazard data was developed based on local community requests for new flood hazard risk studies for the updated streams.
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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