FEMA Region II and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) will be holding two Flood Risk Open House meetings with local communities to inform Onondaga County residents of flood risks shown on the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).
The open houses will provide residents with the opportunity to meet with experts one-on-one in order to learn more about their flood risk, get information on potential changes to flood insurance purchase requirements and rates, as well as tips to mitigate and prepare for future floods.
Representatives from the NYSDEC, FEMA, and their mapping partners will be on hand to answer questions related to the proposed FIRM, the floodplain, and flood insurance. There will be no formal presentation at this meeting, so attendees are encouraged to arrive any time during the hours of operation. In order to properly assist you, residents and property owners should plan to bring a copy of the elevation certificate and flood insurance policy for their property, if available.
As a result of these map changes, some properties in Onondaga County, may, for the first time, be included in a high-risk flood zone, known as the Special Flood Hazard Area. This may result in those affected homeowners being required to purchase flood insurance. Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States. It is vital that property owners understand their current flood risk, and take advantage of tools or programs available to make their property and community safer and stronger against future flood risk.
Additional information on mapping is available on FEMA’s Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov/portal) and flood insurance information can be found on FloodSmart (www.floodsmart.gov).
Open houses
• 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7: Onondaga County meeting (all county residents are welcome) at the DeWitt Community Room, 148 Sanders Creek Parkway, East Syracuse
• 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8: City of Syracuse meeting (all county residents are welcome) at the Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave., Syracuse
