Flood plain maps go digital: Residents able to pinpoint specific properties

About 50 people showed up at the South Walton Courthouse to find out if their property's flood zone is being changed.

Officials from the Walton County Planning Commission, FEMA, Northwest Florida Water Management District and Water Resource Associates unveiled the new digital flood zone maps at meeting held Monday evening.

Many walked away with good news. Like Kenny and Jacquee Markel who said they are now in Zone X, an area designated least likely to experience major flooding. Flood insurance is not required for zones B,C and X. "We live very close to the water," said Jacquee Markel.

The new flood maps were begun in 2005 and are normally a two-year project, according to Jerrick Saquibal, NWFWMD, but the project was put on hold to allow county officials to complete more detailed topographical data. The project has now resumed.

Monday's meeting was the first of two. A second meeting is being held at the DeFuniak Springs Community Center, also from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Officials at Monday's meeting touted the many benefits of the new digital maps, one being the detail with which officials can now pinpoint specific properties.

"Your property may be in a flood zone but not your structure," said Peter G. Hubbell, of WRA. Flood insurance only covers the structure and contents, not the land itself.

 Hubbell explained that if a structure had been elevated above the designated flood level, then it was not considered to be in the flood zone, only the property was.

Henrietta Williams, of FEMA, said just because your home isn't in a flood zone, doesn't mean flood insurance is not a good idea for you.

"During a 30-year period, a home is three times more likely to flood rather than have a fire," said Williams.

The maps use satellite imagery and incorporate information from the National Wetlands Inventory, county records and other sources. The new maps show all previously designated wetlands, lakes and other bodies of water that may not have been present on the old mapping system.

The maps also use "probability" rather than the previous 100-year maps, which officials all agreed were hard to understand and hard to use.

After Tuesday's meeting, engineers will complete the maps. They will then be published in local newspapers. Once published, a 90-day period begins in which property owners can appeal or protest the mapping for their property.

A paper map is currently available at the Planning Commission. Digital maps will also be available online at the beginning of the 90-day protest period.

The new maps will not affect current structures if they are rezoned as a flood area.  Hubbell said such structures will continue to get the same (flood) insurance hazard rating as long as the building stands. If, however, the building is destroyed, it would then lose its preferred rating status.

COBRA

Many at Monday's meeting many had questions about the Coastal Barrier Resources Act.

One audience member said he had lived in Sandestin for several years and had had insurance through USAA. Then two years ago, they told him they could no longer insure him because he was in the Coastal Barrier Resources area.

Recently, he was contacted again and told he was once again eligible for insurance. He questioned the officials as to "What happened?"

Others in the audience expressed similar sentiments.

 Hubbell explained the flood maps had no impact on COBRA. Coastal Barrier areas are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"To change them, you need an act of Congress," said  Hubbell.

The new flood maps will help FEMA set flood insurance rates. Officials urged citizens to study the maps, get help in showing them how their property was rated before and what is rated now, as any change could impact them.