Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee And Martin County Residents Invited To See Preliminary Flood Maps

Attend an Open House and Learn about Flood Risks in Your Community

ATLANTA – If you live in Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee and Martin counties or incorporated municipalities you are invited to look at newly revised preliminary digital flood insurance rate maps at a series of public open houses Monday through Thursday, Sept. 16-19 from 4 to 7 p.m. Flood maps show the extent to which areas are at risk for flooding, and are used to help determine flood insurance and building requirements.

At the open houses you will be able to see the preliminary maps, learn about your risk of flooding and ask questions about what the new maps will mean for your property. You can meet one-on-one with a variety of specialists who will be available to talk about flood insurance, engineering, building permits and more. You are encouraged to attend the open house in your county where local officials will be available to answer county-specific questions.

The open house dates and locations are:

Monday, Sept. 16                  4 to 7 p.m.

Glades County Public Open House

Doyle Conner Building

900 US Highway 27

Moore Haven, FL 33471

Tuesday, Sept. 17                  4 to 7 p.m.

Hendry County Public Open House

John Bay Auditorium

100 Sugarland Park Drive

Clewiston, FL 33440

Wednesday, Sept. 18             4 to 7 p.m.

Okeechobee County Public Open House

Okeechobee County Health Department Auditorium

1728 NW 9th Avenue

Okeechobee, FL 34972

Thursday, Sept.  19               4 to 7 p.m.

Martin County Public Open House

Blake Library Branch

2351 Southeast Monterey Road

Stuart, FL 34996

Martin County residents can find more information about their county’s maps at www.mcflood.martin.fl.us.  There is also an “interactive” mapping application which allows query by name and address where you can view the “existing” vs. the “proposed” zones at http://geoweb.martin.fl.us/flood/.

You may also visit your local community’s office to view the maps in person, or call your local floodplain manager with questions about where their property is located on the preliminary maps.

The preliminary maps in each of these counties have not yet been officially adopted and will become effective for flood insurance rating purposes only after a public comment period. This allows time for property owners and local officials to submit comments and appeals if they can show that any part of the maps is in error. Specialists will be available at the open houses to address questions that residents may have about this process. Once all comments are received and addressed, the counties may adopt the maps. 

The new maps were produced through a partnership between each county and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They are more precise than older maps because better flood hazard and risk data and the latest science available have been applied to make the maps more accurate. Additionally, flood risks change over time due to construction and development, environmental changes, floodplain widening or shifting, and other factors—which is why it’s important that maps are updated periodically. The ultimate goal of new maps is to provide better information to protect property owners and the community from flood risks.