As I am sure many of you are aware the US Government is the provider of all flood insurance covering US homeowner properties. The need for and the associated rates for this coverage on individual properties is governed by a series of maps known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) that categorize all US land areas into separate zones to define risk in any given area. These maps are administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which is in the process of updating all maps across the country as part of a project known as a conversion to digital FIRMs – whereby the maps are essentially overlayed onto satellite images (think Google Earth) and boundaries are defined more exactly with digital coordinates.
With this conversion FEMA is also looking to update the reported risk zones and BFEs (Base Flood Elevations). The process to do so is moving county-by-county and town-by-town. Last year there was a lot of press around this process in Bristol County with many challenges being posed to -some of the new land risk evaluations. Now FEMA is preparing to roll out new maps in Plymouth County and proposed new maps have been delivered to town halls, including Mattapoisett, where they are available for public viewing and comment.
The proposed digital FIRMs have some significant changes that will impact many Peases Point property owners. The current FIRM dates from 1990 and is based on drafted maps with overlays of areas at risk and what FEMA considers the BFE for our area. They define BFE as “the flood level having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. This is the regulatory standard also referred to as the ‘100-year flood’.” In practical terms, if FEMA has labelled your property within a BFE area with a label “EL 15” they are saying that any new structure must be built with the living area height clearance 15 feet above mean sea level. That is not to say that your house needs to be 15 feet off the ground where built, but rather 15 ft above the average tide level measured at the nearest body of water. There is a process to calculate this which essentially requires surveying and use of area standard tables accessible to land engineers.
The second component of a flood assessment for each property is the FEMA assessment of special flood hazard. This has to do with force of the 1 percent flood. These are broken down into three major categories that impact Peases Point:
- Zone X – areas of moderate flood with lower impact, subject to the “500-year flood” or 0.2% risk- areas shaded on the map are considered higher risk than those not shaded. Flood insurance is available but not required.
- Zone AE – Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event determined by detailed methods. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.
- Zone VE – Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards due to storm-induced velocity wave action. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.
The following graphic shows the current FIRM for Peases Point (click to enlarge):
In this graphic the areas of highest risk (Zone VE) effecting Point homeowners is limited to Point Road with portions of all properties falling into a VE, EL 18 area. There is some partial VE zone impact along Avenue A by the pier as well (inexplicably labeled as “Beach Avenue” on this map). The rest of the Point is considered Zone X except for Avenue A extension (lucky me) which is an AE zone. Exact determinations are somewhat arbitrary, so excuse my quick assessment but I think you get the gist.
Looking back to 1993 and the impact of Hurricane Bob (no relation) I have to think that these maps are fairly accurate, but they have been re-evaluated and now things are set to look a lot different. The following image shows the proposed digital FIRM of Peases Point currently on file at Town Hall in the Building Department. It is set to be voted on in April or May by the Selectmen (click to enlarge).
The new FIRM is based on satellite imagery and while it is a bit difficult to make out all the details here, especially with the blue dots,apparently to indicate a draft version, one thing is clear, most all residents of the Point will now be required to purchase flood insurance and many more will be subjected to more stringent future building requirements as many more homes are now to be designated as VE zone lots. According to this map all homes on both sides of Avenue A from the Pier north are to be considered zone VE, EL 22. This area will also impact odd numbered homes on Avenue B north of Second St. All homes on Point Road and Avenue A Extension are also now designated VE, EL 18. Then almost everyone else except the even side of Avenue B north of Second St and high up on Third St are considered zone AE, EL 15.
What does this mean? If you do not have flood insurance you will in all likelihood need to buy it in the future. I am told that if you buy it now you will do so under the current FIRM designation and your rates will be grandfathered, if you wait you will be subject any new FIRM designation and subsequent higher rates. If you are looking to build you will be faced with new sets of guidelines governing height, construction and septic.
What can be done to prevent this? The experience from New Bedford and Fairhaven has not been promising. Apparently there has been some success in elevation designations but little change in zone designations. I do not claim to be an expert in these matters but would like to understand if anyone has done any research and would be interested in sharing what they know. It would benefit everyone in the long run to have these new FIRMs reflect something closer to the current maps than the proposed new maps.