FEMA Releases New Westport Flood Maps

The town’s Planning & Zoning Dept. announced on Monday�new maps showing Westport properties in flood zones have been released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The new maps, also called�Flood Insurance Rate Maps, indicate areas at�risk for flooding.

A composite�map of all of the town’s flood-prone areas can been downloaded from the town’s Web site: www.westport.go . To find out if a property has been mapped into a higher risk zone, known as a Special Flood Hazard Area labeled “A,” AE” or “V,” contact the P&Z office at (203) 341-1076. The office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to�4:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The maps�just released are�preliminary.� Starting June 19 and running through Sept. 16, there will be a public comment period, during which�citizens can�appeal the accuracy of the maps�by submitting technical and/or scientific data.�After the appeals�have been�reviewed and�any needed�changes�incorporated, FEMA will issue a Letter of Final Determination.� Six months later, a zoning regulation will be proposed to adopt the new Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map. The maps will then become effective, as will any new flood insurance requirements.

However,�starting immediately, the new flood�maps will be used in helping to determine requirements for construction and development.

P&Z notes that any building within a Special Flood Hazard Area�mortgaged by a federally-regulated lender must be covered by flood insurance when the maps become effective. Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and properties mapped into higher-risk areas for the first time can be “grandfathered” in with lower cost insurance options.

Most homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flooding. For more information on flood insurance, visit the National Flood Insurance Program’s Web site, http://www.floodsmart.gov/.