How FEMA Flood Maps Helped a Man Evacuate Safely

BATON ROUGE, La. – FEMA flood-insurance rate maps identify areas subject to flooding and establish various zones in a community on which to base premiums. But they can do something else: help first responders, government officials and others prepare for an oncoming deluge.

It was these maps that kept an older gentleman from being trapped during the floods of August. William Wilson grew concerned as the rains fell heavily in the area around his southern Louisiana home, between the Amite River and Jones Creek. Wilson’s son, Houston landscape architect Kirk Wilson, routinely uses FEMA flood maps in his work. He knew the maps might be critical in assessing his father’s looming problem.

“My dad called to tell me that local authorities expected the Amite to crest at 46 feet, higher than the devastating 1983 flood, and he feared his home would be inundated.”

Kirk Wilson, who vividly remembered the devastating ‘83 floods from his childhood, shared his father’s concerns. He told his dad to go online to the Louisiana State University’s AgCenter’s online map center. They studied the maps, with Kirk guiding his father through the data by phone.

He explained to his father how to determine his property’s Base Flood Elevation (commonly called BFE). Once they had that number, the Wilsons looked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s projections for the rising waters. “So we estimated the crest would be 36 feet, two feet higher than dad’s BFE,” said Wilson.

Wilson warned his father that while the house itself might not be in danger, his evacuation routes would almost surely be under water. A small, narrow bridge over Jones Creek was William’s only route to higher ground. Kirk told his father he was certain the bridge would be flooded and impassable, urging him to get out as soon as possible. The elder Wilson took the advice. The floodwaters lapped up just short of the house; the bridge was swamped.

Anyone can call FEMA’s Map Information Exchange and talk to an expert (877-336-2627, open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., EST). The specialist will explain the basics of reading and interpreting maps. The website is www.msc.fema.gov/portal. The LSU AgCenter website is www.lsuagcenter.com (scroll down to “flood maps”).

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How FEMA Flood Maps Helped a Man Evacuate Safely

Mississippi Community Recognized For Reducing Flood Risks

Biloxi, Miss. earns Discount on Flood Insurance Premiums

ATLANTA – Biloxi residents with flood insurance policies will now receive a decrease on their annual flood premiums thanks to the city’s active participation in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System.

FEMA Region IV Floodplain Management and Insurance Branch Chief Susan Wilson recognized Biloxi officials today with a plaque for the city’s efforts in becoming the third city in the state to earn a Class 5 community rating.

“Reaching a Class 5 rating is so rare nationwide that it really speaks to the local officials and their hard work and determination,” Wilson said. “They understand the extra effort isn’t just for a decrease to insurance premiums, but it is ensuring the entire city is more resistant to flood damage and more disaster resilient overall.”

The CRS rewards communities that voluntarily take steps to reduce flood risks beyond the minimum requirements of the NFIP.  These steps, which include increasing flood protection and implementing preparedness and mitigation activities, lead to safer communities and ultimately help saves lives and property. As a result, property owners and renters in CRS-participating communities enjoy a reduction in flood insurance premiums. Communities are ranked from a 10 to 1 scale which determines their flood insurance discounts.

Biloxi policyholders began receiving flood insurance discounts from the CRS program in 1996. As a result of additional steps the community has recently taken, the community moved from a CRS Class 6 to a CRS Class 5 effective May 1, earning an additional five percent savings on flood insurance.

There are more than 5,900 flood insurance policies in Biloxi, representing more than $1.5 billion in flood insurance coverage.  Policyholders located in the high risk areas of flooding, or Special Flood Hazard Areas, can now receive a 25 percent discount on their policy premium, which is an average savings of $285 per policy.  Some policyholders in the lower risk areas are eligible for a 10 percent discount.  In total, policyholders realize an annual savings of more than $437,000 because of the community’s CRS participation. 

CRS is a voluntary program for NFIP-participating communities. The intended goals of the program are to reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance ratings and to promote the awareness of flood insurance.  The two other Mississippi communities to earn a Class 5 rating are Pascagoula and Waveland.

For more information on the NFIP’s CRS program visit www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm.  For more information about the NFIP, a program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), visit www.floodsmart.gov.

Community Rating System Facts:

Nationwide Communities: 1,211

Nationwide Class 5:               66

Mississippi Communities:      29

Mississippi Class 5:                 3

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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Mississippi Community Recognized For Reducing Flood Risks