NEW YORK, N.Y. – Ocean County residents and property owners will be able ask questions and obtain information on their property’s flood hazard risk at two Open Houses scheduled to take place in Ocean County on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and Thursday, Feb. 26 from 4 to 8 p.m.
During the past year and a half, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region II office has released updates to the flood hazard maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), for New Jersey’s coastal communities. The FIRMs identify areas of flood risk in these coastal communities.
Community and county officials in Ocean County’s coastal communities have arranged for the Flood Risk Open Houses to assist residents and property owners with questions and concerns regarding flood hazards and flood insurance rate maps.
If you think you may be in a flood zone, or already know you are, feel free to attend the open house that is most convenient for you at any time between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. No formal presentation will be made and no appointment is necessary.
The preliminary flood hazard maps that will be shared at the Open House are an update of the existing FIRMs. These preliminary FIRMs and the associated Flood Insurance Study (FIS) provide the basis for flood risk education and floodplain management measures. Each community is required to adopt updated maps to continue participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which makes flood insurance available to the community.
Insurance companies use FIRMs to determine flood insurance rates for buildings, and lenders utilize this information to determine flood insurance requirements. Residents and property owners in these areas are encouraged to learn more about their flood risk and the updates shown on the preliminary flood hazard maps by entering their property’s address in the “What’s my BFE?” tool at www.region2coastal.com.
Using interactive flood hazard maps at this Open House, representatives from the State, County, FEMA and their mapping partners, will be available to answer flood risk and insurance questions, and explain the preliminary flood hazard maps. Residents are encouraged to bring their elevation certificates and/or flood insurance policies to the event in order to get the best information about how their flood insurance rates may change as a result of the new preliminary flood maps and legislative reforms.
The Flood Risk Open Houses will take place at these locations:
- Ocean:
- Wednesday, February 25th, 2015 at the Ocean County Government Complex, Building 5 Cafeteria, 129 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08753
- Thursday, February 26th, 2015 at the Ocean County Southern Service Center, 179 South Main Street, Manahawkin, NJ 08092
The Open Houses will cover flood hazard and FIRM map information only. No information will
be available concerning outstanding insurance claims or disaster-related recovery efforts.
Please plan to attend this event if your property is currently mapped within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), newly mapped into an SFHA, or if you are unsure of your flood risk and/or you have any questions on flood insurance. If you cannot attend or want to learn more about your flood risk, please refer to the Preliminary FIRMs which are available on the FEMA Map Service Center website, https://msc.fema.gov/portal, call the FEMA Map Information eXchange (FMIX) at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) or call your local flood plain administrator or building official.
If you are in a high-risk flood zone, known as the SFHA, you may be required by your lender to carry flood insurance. FEMA staff will be available at the Open House to talk about these changes.
Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States. It is vital for property owners to understand their risk and taking advantage of tools and programs available to them. Property owners can take action by purchasing flood insurance and implementing mitigation actions to help reduce future flooding impacts.
For additional information on flood hazard risk and the mapping process, please visit www.region2coastal.com
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.
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