New Flood Maps Detail \[County's or Community's\] Flood Risk

\[Community name's\] flood maps are being updated and replaced. A
multi-year project to develop detailed, digital flood hazard maps is
nearing completion. The new maps reflect current flooding risks,
replacing maps that are up to \[age\] years old. Preliminary maps will
be released \[date\]. They will undergo a several-month review and
comment period before their final adoption next \[month or season\].
Property owners throughout the county will have up-to-date,
Internet-accessible information about their flood risk, \[*include if
applicable*: and can look up their property online at \[enter URL\] to
learn if their risk level has changed\].

Flooding: A Frequent and Costly Disaster

Flooding is the most frequent and costly hazard in \[community name\].
The first step in flood protection is knowing your flood risk. Flood
risks vary from property to property, even within the same neighborhood.
And risks change over time due to erosion, land use, weather events and
other factors. The likelihood of inland, riverine and coastal flooding
in certain areas has changed along with these factors. \[*include
example of recent local flooding, including % of NFSHA flooded and/or
total damage caused\]*

New Maps = Safer Public

The flood map modernization project has been a joint effort between
\[community name\] and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
in cooperation with association and private sector partners. Planners,
local officials, engineers and builders will use the maps to make
important determinations about where and how to build new structures and
developments. Residents and businesses can use the maps to learn their
risk, and decide the financial steps they need to take to protect
against damage and loss.

How Will The Changes Affect Residents & Businessowners?

There will be some properties that aren't affected -- their risk remains
the same. Other properties will now be mapped into a higher-risk area.
Some properties will be mapped into a lower-risk area than before.
Altogether, more than \[# of total affected\] properties will show some
change. In addition, properties currently in high-risk areas may show a
new Base Flood Elevation,[^1] which can affect future construction
*\[use this last sentence if BFE changes are occurring\].*

The changes may affect the requirement for flood insurance. Flood
insurance is available through National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP),
a federally underwritten program provided by nearly 100 insurance
companies and available through licensed insurance agents. Owners of
properties mapped into a high-risk area, known as a Special

Flood Hazard Area, may be required to carry flood insurance as part of
their mortgage agreement. To learn more about flood insurance, visit
www.FloodSmart.gov.

For More Information

The preliminary new flood maps will be released on \[date\]. After a
public comment and review period, the maps are expected to be adopted in
\[month or season; e.g. the spring of 2006\]. At that time, the new
insurance requirements will take effect. To learn more about the
preliminary maps and this map modernization project, see what areas will
change, learn what the insurance options are, and find out about
upcoming related community meetings, visit \[enter URL\]. For general
information about the upcoming map changes, a local call center has also
been set up to answer questions and address residents' concerns about
the new flood maps. Individuals can call \[phone #\] anytime between
\[hours of operation\].

[^1]: ^^\*Base Flood Elevation: The height of the base flood, or area
    of land that has a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year.