IMPORTANT: New FEMA Flood Mapping Information

As discussed during the pervious Bayshore Watershed meeting on Thursday, March 20^th, Keyport resident and fellow Bayshore watershed member, Mike Lane, was able to attend the March 20^th public meeting at Tatum Park Activity Center in Middletown Township regarding the new, preliminary flood maps for Monmouth County.

The March 20^th meeting at Tatum Park was from 1-4pm and discussed flood maps for most of the northern Bayshore communities in Monmouth County including Aberdeen Township, Matawan Borough, Middletown Township, Hazlet Township, Atlantic Highlands Borough, Highlands Borough, Holmdel Township, Keansburg Borough, Keyport Borough, and Union Beach Borough.

The new flood maps were created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans. FEMA was mandated by Congress to update all flood maps for the United States, including our section of the coastline.

Mike Lane informed us during the Bayshore Watershed meeting during the evening of March 20^th that it is very important for all Bayshore residents to review the new maps - either at their local community's municipal building or at the Web site listed below. - and to buy flood insurance policies now if their property has been rezoned into a higher risk flood-hazard area.

Municipalities will have until February 2009 to formally adopt the flood maps for their communities. In addition, municipalities will have until February 2009 to adopt new ordinances to protect flood zones and to create a new Flood Plan Administrator position.

If municipalities fail to adopt the new flood maps or the new regulations then the municipality will lose out on subsidies for federal flood insurance.

I cannot stress more that it is very important for all Bayshore residents to review the new flood maps. If people buy flood insurance now, lower premiums will be 'grandfathered in' on the new maps.  After the new maps are adopted, it will be too late to take advantage of the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) 'grandfathering' provision. Since the Bayshore region does experience quite a number of heavy nor’easters and tropical storms, it's important for people to protect themselves as soon as possible!

There might be quite a few people in your municipality unaware that they are now in flood zones. For example, there are about 3,000 property owners in Keansburg and about 2,000 people in Middletown Township that are now in flood zones under the new FEMA maps, and need flood insurance!

Soon, FEMA will publish notices about the new, preliminary flood maps in local newspapers. The second of these notices will signal the start of a 90-day appeal period in which communities can challenge new flood data due to technical information about flood elevations or local topography. The new flood maps will become final six months after the last appeal is resolved. Information on the appeal process is available on the FEMA Web site: www.fema.gov.

The Bayshore Regional Watershed Council urges everyone review the new FEMA flood maps and to make their friends and neighbors aware of new flood conditions in their neighborhood to help residents to secure flood insurance at the best price now.

In addition, the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council urges all municipalities in the Bayshore region to review the new federal flood maps and to review all new regulations before the deadline of February 2009.  Some of the added regulations include no new buildings on coastal barriers, otherwise new buildings must be raised in flood zones. Moreover, existing sand dikes are no longer considered adequate flood protection.

 The new, preliminary maps are available on the Internet at http://rmc.mapmodteam.com/RMC2/Counties_Monmouth.htm

It is important to read carefully the new maps. For example, there is a Zone X on the new flood maps. Certain Zone X areas that exist in flood areas are either 100 or 200 year flood plains, I think. I am still confused by the Zone X section myself.

Good luck and fair winds,

Joe Reynolds

Co-Chair

Bayshore Regional Watershed Council

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