FEMA advisory flood-risk data maps released for Rockland County, N.Y.

NEW YORK–The Federal Emergency Management Agency has released Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps (ABFEs) for Hudson River communities in Rockland County, N.Y. The ABFEs reflect the best available data from the most recent analysis of coastal flood hazards along the Hudson River and are based on sound science and engineering. ABFEs are derived from more recent data and improved study methodologies compared to the data and analyses used to prepare the existing Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).

ABFEs will help Rockland communities along the Hudson River better understand flood hazard conditions and rebuild safer and stronger for future events such as Hurricane Sandy.  The ABFEs for Rockland are the result of requests by local government and advocacy by elected officials for FEMA to develop ABFEs for Hudson River communities in Rockland County. As a result FEMA initiated a new project to process storm surge data and prepared the requested

ABFE maps to support rebuilding and recovery in those communities.

FEMA encourages communities in Rockland County to use this information in instances where base flood elevations have increased and/or where new Special Flood Hazard Areas are shown on the ABFEs. Using these ABFEs will help state and local officials with their rebuilding and recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy and will guide property and business owners of damaged or destroyed property with their own decisions about rebuilding.

More information on ABFEs is available at www.Region2Coastal.com.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

More information on ways to protect your property from disasters to come is available at: www.fema.gov. 

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.