Five Months Remain Before Flood Maps Become Final for Areas of Ponca City, Kay County and Osage County in Oklahoma

DENTON, Texas –– In five months, on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, new flood maps for specific areas bordering the Arkansas River in Ponca City, Kay County and Osage County in Okla. will become effective.  Before that date, state, local and federal officials are encouraging everyone to view the maps to understand their flood risk and consider purchasing flood insurance.

Most property insurance policies do not cover the effects of a flood. Floods can place people at risk of uninsured loss to their businesses, homes and personal property if they don’t have either a private flood insurance policy or coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a voluntary protection program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States and only flood insurance covers these unexpected, damaging and sometimes fatal events.

“Where there is rain, there could be flooding,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “Everyone lives in a flood zone.”

To review the new flood maps, residents can contact their local floodplain administrator.  FEMA map specialists and flood insurance experts also are available to answer questions. They can be reached by phone and online chat:

• To use the live chat service, visit http://go.usa.gov/r6C.  Click on the “Live Chat” icon.
• To view the Preliminary Interactive Flood Map Index online visit http://riskmap6.com/documents/Meeting_246/40071CIND0B_hyperlink.pdf
• To contact a FEMA Map Specialist, call 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) or send an email to FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.

Participation in the NFIP can assure a faster recovery in the event of a devastating flood. Contacting a local insurance agent is the first step to obtaining information about insurance. Folks can visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-888-379-9531 to locate an agent in their area.
                                              
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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.  Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6, and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.