Public Invited to Appeal or Comment on Flood Maps for Willacy and Cameron Counties in Texas
DENTON, Texas – (RealEstateRama) — New preliminary flood maps for residents and business owners in Willacy and Cameron counties are now ready for residents to review. Local, state and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials teamed up to produce them.
Residents and business owners are encouraged to view the maps for a better understanding of their flood risks. This understanding will help make informed decisions about building plans. It will also help decide whether to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.
The public is invited to participate in appeal and comment periods about the maps. There are different deadlines for submitting comments and appeals. Anyone in Willacy County who wishes to file an appeal or comment has until June 27, 2016, for submission.
Anyone in Cameron County who wishes to file an appeal or comment has until June 28, 2016, for submission.
What’s the difference between an appeal and a comment?
Appeals are formal objections to proposed base flood elevations or flood depths. They can also be made to Special Flood Hazard Areas boundaries and zones, or floodways. Appeals must be based on technical data showing proposed maps to be scientifically incorrect. Anyone making an appeal must include the method, data and analysis used to support the claim.
Comments are objections to a base map feature change such as labels, incorrect roads or jurisdictional boundaries. The public can send comments and appeals to their local floodplain administrator, who will forward them to FEMA for final resolution.
There are several ways of reviewing the maps if you have not had a chance yet. One way is by visiting your county or community floodplain administrator’s office and look at them. Other ways include:
• Viewing the Willacy County preliminary flood map at: http://maps.riskmap6.com/TX/Willacy/
• Or, the Cameron County preliminary flood map at: http://maps.riskmap6.com/TX/Cameron/
• Using a live chat service about flood maps at go.usa.gov/r6C, just click on the “Live Chat” icon;
• Contacting a FEMA Map Specialist at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) orFEMAMapSpecialist (at) riskmapcds (dot) com.
The next step is the resolution of all the comments and appeals. When that is complete, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps.
When a flood risk is identified, the next step is to consider purchasing a flood policy. Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program. Contacting a local insurance agent is the first step to gather information about insurance. Visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-888-379-9531 to locate an agent in your area.
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.
