CHICAGO — Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will host a Virtual Flood Map Information Open House on Tuesday, May 10, for communities in Preble County.
The open house will give residents the chance to review preliminary versions of a recently completed Flood Insurance Study (GIS) report and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
According to a press release from the Preble County Commissioners’ Office, the FIS and the 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 officials 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 Preble 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 the maps to be used as tools to assist planning processes and outreach efforts to quickly respond to and recover from future events.
The Preble County meeting will be held via Zoom from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10. Visit www.zoom.com and enter the following meeting ID and passcode — meeting ID: 932 0281 3542, password: preble. This requires registering for a free Zoom account.
Residents may also call into the meeting using one of the following telephone numbers and entering the meeting ID and passcode shown above: 301-715 8592; 312-626 6799 or 646-876 9923. Long-distance charges may apply.
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, according to the press release. Digital files of the Preliminary FIRM and FIS report can be downloaded from www.fensa.Nov/preIiminaryfIoodhazarddata.
Anyone needing a reasonable accommodation (sign language interpreters, Braille, CART, etc.), should send an e-mail to [email protected] at least 48 hours before the event. Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to fulfill.
