Preliminary flood and elevation maps reviewed in Abbeville

By two o’clock yesterday, parish residents and officials were looking at the preliminary flood insurance rate maps as known as Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMS) which serve as a tool to set rates for insurance in the area, advise of elevations for building and target “hazard “zones within each municipality and in the parish.

The Louisiana Mapping project or LaMP is part of a national map modernization program which together with FEMA has produced more detailed and updated maps which will be able to be viewed digitally.

The next step of the process is to collect and analyze appeals and protests of the preliminary maps. This period is for 90 days after the viewing.

If there are no appeals or protests, or if appeals are resolved, a letter of determination will be sent to each community entity involved for approval. This process could take up to nine months with the final approval and effective date of the new maps to be at least another six months after that.

Police Juror Mark Poche who lives in Erath, asked one of the LaMP representatives about building on a property during the approval process.

“It is possible that the elevation could change from these preliminary maps until the end?” Poché said.

The response was a quick yes. It was possible that if the preliminary maps are adopted by the community that changes could occur with the final maps.

Mayors George Dupuis (Erath) and Carol Broussard (Delcambre) were pleased with the elevations that were determined on the new maps.

“Delcambre went from 12 feet to 11 and 10,” Broussard said. “If the maps change it could even go to nine, but at least we don’t have to build to 12 anymore.”

Mayor Dupuis added that very few houses in Erath would have to build to 12 foot based on the new maps. “The elevations are mostly 10, 11 and 12,” Dupuis stated.

DFIRMS will determine the flood risk to a home or business and will be beneficial to officials to better understand the flood hazards facing the community.

Until this revision, maps from 1984 were used to determine elevation and flood zones. Hurricane Rita data was used extensively to help determine future hazards.

Depending upon the area in which one lives, they will be affected in different ways -- some will not be affected at all.

Properties that are mapped as “high-risk” that were before “low-risk” will be required to purchase flood insurance if the property owner carries a mortgage from a federally regulated lender. The average cost for flood insurance in Louisiana is $550 per year.

For more information contact the LaMP call center at 1-866-751-3989 or for information of flood policy coverage and rates call 1-800-427-4661.