CHICAGO - Representatives from FEMA will host a Flood Map Information Open House for communities in St. Louis County, Minnesota, on Feb. 15, 2023, from 5 - 7 p.m. CT and on Feb. 16, 2023, from 5 - 7 p.m. CT. The open houses will give residents a chance to review preliminary versions of the recently completed Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The same information will be shared at both meetings.
The FIS and the FIRMs provide base flood (also known as the 1% -annual-chance event) information, designate areas that are subject to significant flood hazards within the county and offer information that public officials may use to guide development in the floodplain.
Experts at the open houses will help residents understand flood risk and flood insurance, floodplain development regulations and the mapping process. Residents can meet with experts one-on-one to view their own addresses on the new maps. They’ll learn about their specific risk and ways to help prevent flood loss.
Once effective, the maps will be used as the basis for flood insurance ratings as well as local flood protection regulations adopted under the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA encourages public officials to use the maps to assist planning processes and prepare communities to quickly respond to and recover from future events.
WHAT: St. Louis County-Flood Map Information Open House
WHEN: Feb. 15, 2023, 5-7 p.m. CT
WHERE: Virginia Public Works Lake Vermilion Room
7823 State Highway 135
Virginia, MN 55792
WHEN: Feb. 16, 2023, 5-7 p.m. CT
WHERE: Public Works Pike Lake Conference Room
4787 Midway Road
Duluth, MN 55811
Property owners, realtors, lenders and insurance agents are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation within their community. Digital files of the Preliminary FIRM and FIS report can be downloaded from www.fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata.
If you need a reasonable accommodation (sign language interpreters, Braille, CART, etc.), please send an email to FEMA-Region5-FloodInsuranceOutreach@fema.dhs.gov at least 48 hours before the event. Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to fulfill.
For more information, contact the FEMA News Desk at FEMA-R5-News-Desk@fema.dhs.gov.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
