On Wednesday, November 2, 2016, residents and business leaders in Craven County communities will be able to review and discuss the latest flood hazard and flood risk data. The meeting, which was scheduled prior to Hurricane Matthew, is part of North Carolina Emergency Management’s ongoing efforts to work with communities to identify flood risks and update flood plain maps.
The digital, preliminary flood hazard information has been available for public viewing since June 30. The data can be layered on top of the county’s parcel data so property owners can better determine potential risks to their structures. On Wednesday, November 2, 2016 the digital flood hazard data will be shown during a public open house from 3-6 p.m. at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center located at 203 South Front St. in New Bern.
Residents also can access the flood hazard data online at http://fris.nc.gov/fris/. Digital flood hazard data also can be viewed by calling the Craven County Planning Department at 252-636-6618 or the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program (NCFMP) at 919-825-2302.
The Nov. 2 public meeting provides an opportunity for residents to see the results of the revised studies and new flood hazard areas. County and municipal employees will be on hand to help residents locate particular properties from the flood hazard data and determine their level of flood risk. Representatives from the NCFMP will make a short presentation on the flood study process, how the new digital hazard data can be used to reduce future flood losses, and how the preliminary hazard data may impact flood insurance and floodplain management. Attendees also may see a demonstration of the North Carolina Flood Risk Information System (FRIS). Following the presentation, these state emergency management representatives will be available to answer questions about the hazard data update process, flood insurance coverage and floodplain management.
The state’s Floodplain Mapping Program was established in 2000 with a mandate to update flood hazard data for all 100 counties. Through a partnership with FEMA, the state was charged with creating and maintaining the Flood Insurance Study for all North Carolina communities. Since 2003 the NCFMP has analyzed, updated and digitized the flood hazard data for all 100 counties and associated communities in the state. This preliminary flood hazard data was developed based on local community requests for new flood hazard risk studies for the updated streams. Please note that only those portions of the revised streams have been updated. Therefore, some communities in the county will not have new flood hazard data, although adjacent counties may have some updates due to the seamless statewide format for the mapping program.
For more information on an individual property’s flood risk, visit http://fris.nc.gov/fris/.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on the public meeting, contact: Craven County Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development Chad Strawn at 252-636-6618, or Milton Carpenter, NFIP planner with the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program at 919-825-2302.