St. Bernard Parish announces FEMA preliminary flood insurance ...

A few weeks after Mardi Gras, St. Bernard Parish government will host an open house for parish property owners to view proposed new flood insurance rate maps. St. Bernard largely will remain the same, with no changes to 96-percent of its parish rates, according to a FEMA presentation last month examining its new preliminary map.

St. Bernard currently uses advisory base flood elevation levels established in 2006. In 2008, FEMA created new preliminary flood insurance rate maps, but that was before the new Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System was completed, so now FEMA is coming back and revising the maps.

St. Bernard could see lower insurance rates for about 3 percent of its parish, with the remainder of the parish seeing increased rates.

At the Feb. 28 meeting, between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 8201 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, residents can review areas more prone to flooding with a 1-percent chance of occurring in any year, the so-called 100-year storm. FEMA officials will be on hand to answer questions.

St. Bernard Parish government is encouraging property owners to attend to see how their property will be categorized on the new maps. While most areas will stay the same or see improvements, some areas will move from the previous Zones B and C classifications for moderate-to-low risk areas - now Zone X - to Zone A, high-risk areas.

Property owners may click here, or go to www.riskmap6.com/Community.aspx?cid=119&sid=2, for specific information on their new property's proposed new flood classification.

After a 90-day appeals and comment period. FEMA likely will provide a "letter of final determination," which officially starts the six-month adoption period, during which time local governments must officially adopt the new maps or opt out of the National Flood Insurance Program.

The final base-elevation levels are particularly important this year because of the Biggert-Waters National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, which could increase insurance policy rates based on any change in risk or recent substantial damage, along with other factors.

FEMA still is determining how exactly the reform act will be regulated, but FEMA officials are advising homeowners to talk with their insurance agents to see how the changes could affect them.

Based on initial FEMA estimates, premiums through the National Flood Insurance Program for a $250,000 single-family, one-story home in a high to moderate risk zone that sits 4 feet below base flood elevations could come to $9,500 a year. If the structure is at the base flood elevation level, it would cost about $1,410 a year, and if it's 3 feet above base flood elevations, it could cost $427 a year.

Source: http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/01/st_bernard_parish_announces_fe.html

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