FEMA Issues Revised Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Morris County, NJ
Flood Risk Open Houses scheduled for November 8th and 9th, 2017
On February 26 2016, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) to communities in Morris County for public comment. Since that time, the maps have gone through a period of due process and are slated to become effective in 2018. The maps provide updated information about the community’s flood risk, inform insurance rates and purchase requirements, and help property owners make decisions about how to protect themselves and their properties against future flood events. The FIRM and the associated Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report are the basis for each community’s floodplain management measures.
FEMA will host two Flood Risk Open House meetings, one on Wednesday, November 8th from4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Public Safety Training Academy Gymnasium located at 500 W. Hanover Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960 and the other on Thursday,November 9th, 2017 at the Community Center located at 10 Boonton Turnpike, Lincoln Park, NJ 07035.
Representatives from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, FEMA, and their mapping partners will be on hand to answer questions related to the proposed FIRM, the flood plain, and flood insurance. There will be no formal presentation at this meeting; therefore, attendees are encouraged to arrive any time during the hours of operation. In order to properly assist you, residents and property owners should plan to bring a copy of the elevation certificate and flood insurance policy for their property, if available.
As a result of these map changes, some properties in Morris County may be included in a high-risk flood zone, known as the Special Flood Hazard Area, for the first time. This may result in those affected homeowners being required to purchase flood insurance. Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States. It is vital that property owners understand their current flood risk, and take advantage of the tools and/or programs available to make their property and community safer and stronger against future flood risk.
To look at the Morris County Preliminary FIRM, go to : http://arcg.is/2zDVFcK. Additional information on mapping is available on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center(https://msc.fema.gov/portal) and flood insurance information can be found athttps://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program. The Morris County Planning Department also has information on the FEMA FIRM and other flood related topics on their website:https://planning.morriscountynj.gov/firms/.