Notes from Town Square: Flood questions and answers

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968 with the passing of the National Flood Insurance Act for the purposes of: guiding development away from flood hazard areas; requiring stricter construction standards for new and substantially improved buildings to minimize flood damage; transferring the cost of flood losses from the entire tax paying community to floodplain property owners through flood insurance premiums; and, providing aid to property owners after floods (including smaller flooding events which do not warrant federal disaster aid).

The NFIP is a mutual agreement between the Federal Government and the local community whereby a community agrees to adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks, and in return, the Federal Government ensures flood insurance is available to everyone within the community.

Green River became a participating community on July 17, 1978, and therefore, flood insurance is available to its residents.

The following is a list of commonly asked questions and answers about the National Flood Insurance Program:

What is a flood?

As it applies in Green River, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines a “flood” as a “general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties from (a) overflow of inland or tidal waters; (b) unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source; or (c) mudflow.” (www.fema.gov)

Am I located in a floodplain?

The first Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for the City of Green River was issued by FEMA on July 17, 1978. The most recent revision of the FIRM was issued to the City of Green River on June 20, 2000. This map is accessible on the City of Green River’s website (www.cityofgreenriver.org) under the “Maps” link. To simplify for the purpose of this article, shaded areas of the map are areas within a Special Flood Hazard Area. The unshaded areas are outside of a Special Flood Hazard Area.

For assistance in determining if your property is located within a Special Flood Hazard, the Community Development Department would be happy to assist you at 307-872-6140.