Gov't
Residents Could Save $300,000 Per Year: Flood Mapping Study Requested by Councilman Moak
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By Dave Freneaux
It is possible that 1,650 homes in Central which are located between the Amite River watershed and the Beaver Bayou watershed could see reduced flood insurance premiums in a few years. Council member Aaron Moak is requesting the city to fund a $35,000 study which, if accepted by FEMA, could change the flood zone classification of this area of Central.
Central resident Kathi Cowen, the former Flood Plain Manager for the City of Central, has done a great deal of research and brought the concept. Councilman Moak, seeing the potential benefit to the citizens of Central, introduced the ordinance at Tuesday’s City Council meeting provide the funding for the study, estimated to cost $35,000. The Council will vote on whether to approve this funding on August 28th.
FEMA has done studies and produced flood maps for the property close to the Amite River and Beaver Bayou and classifies these areas as “Flood Zone AE”. However, the actual flood plain for the area in between these watersheds has never been determined. As a result, this area is classified as “Flood Zone A”, which carries higher flood insurance premiums as a matter of law. The area includes subdivisions such as Northwoods, Jackson Park, Jackson Place, Crystal Place, Bridlewood and others.
Currently, the approximately 1,650 homes in the affected area pay an estimated $2 million a year in flood insurance. If the study were to only result in reclassifying half of the homes to Flood Zone AE, with each homeowner saving an estimated $400 per year, the savings could be $330,000 per year. If, in addition, the Base Flood Elevations for this area were lowered as a result of the study, the savings to homeowners could be double that number. On the low side, if only 88 homes benefitted and were reclassified at a savings of $400, the study would be more than paid for.
In a best case scenario, it is possible that some or many homes could actually be determined NOT to be in a flood zone at all, meaning that flood insurance would not be required. There are still several hurdles to overcome in this process, including FEMA approval of the study, and it will likely take several years to have any effect on premiums. However, for a city with in excess of $5 million in financial reserves, it would seem to be a wise investment to potentially benefit Central’s homeowners.
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