Flood Map Awareness Meeting

Open House To Provide Residents, Business Owners With Flood Map Information. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in coordination with the State of Arkansas, Sharp County and the City of Hardy, invites the public to attend a flood map awareness meeting, Thursday, April 29, 2010, to help local residents, business owners, real estate and insurance agents understand the new floods maps that will go into effect within the next year.

The new maps were developed after an extensive multi-year study of the area’s floodplains and reflect the dramatic change in water flow and drainage patterns over the last 20 years–increasing the likelihood of flooding in certain areas of the county.

“Many property owners may find their level of flooding risk has changed with the new maps. Now is the time for residents to ensure they understand the mapping process and what the new maps will mean for them,” said Arkansas National Flood Insurance Program Coordinator Mike Borengasser. “Knowing your risk is critical in helping you better protect your family, business and property from devastating floods.”

If the risk level for a property changes, so may the requirement to carry flood insurance. Borengasser, along with Linda Delamare, FEMA’s regional flood insurance specialist, will give presentations on the new maps and will be available to answer questions.

The new maps are part of a larger effort to modernize the nation’s aging flood maps to reflect the most current flood risks and areas of recent growth. The Sharp County study used state-of- the-art technologies and risk modeling and involved a collaboration of FEMA and more than two dozen public and private sector partners.

This flood map awareness meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Hardy City Hall, 124 Woodland Hills Road, Hardy, Ark. 72542. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to Nina Thornton, Mayor, City of Hardy, 870/856-3811.

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.