 | Welcome to the Flood Zone is a nationally distributed resource for those interested in flood zone issues, land surveying, real estate, history, and educational opportunities. This newsletter has been proudly featured by the Association of State Floodplain Managers, the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and the Maine and New Hampshire Floodplain Management Programs. Please feel free to share with your friends and colleagues! If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, simply click the unsubscribe link in the footer of this message. | In this Issue of Welcome to the Flood Zone: Message from Jim
Test Your Knowledge: Play the "What the Flood!" trivia game!
In the News: NFIP Reauthorization, "House Committee Approves 5-Year Flood Insurance Extension with Bipartisan Reforms"
Resources: "Flood Risk Communication Toolkit for Community Officials", "Massachusetts Coastal Coalition: New Rules for Private Flood Insurance Lending Regulations", "Introduction to Storm Surge", "What to Know Before Buying a Flood Insurance Policy", and "King Tides"
NFIP Guidance: "Letter of Determination Review (LODR)"
Real Estate Corner: "Addressing Homeowner Flood Insurance Misconceptions", "Construction within FEMA Floodways & Floodplains - Things to Keep in Mind", and "7 Tips to Prevent Basement Flooding"
History Corner: Tom Blake of Nadeau Land Surveys lends his surveying and research skills to help with a cool historical project! Banner Image: A U.S. flag waves above nearly 10 feet of water in Minot, N.D., June 26, 2011.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sharida | Message from Jim This month’s Message from Jim is simple: thank you to the many real estate, land use, mortgage, and insurance professionals, municipal officials, state floodplain coordinators, government employees, as well as the National Society of Land Surveyors, the Association of State Floodplain Managers, and the New Hampshire Floodplain Management Program, for viewing or sharing our monthly newsletter. We are very pleased to announce this month's is our 100th consecutive issue since April 2011! Thanks to our wonderful network of recipients, and sharing by the above entities, we believe our reach has exceeded over 40,000 people across all 50 states. We hope that "Welcome to the Flood Zone" has made the flood program and its many important stakeholders stronger and more aware by providing education on flood issues. Thank you for your loyal following! | Test Your Knowledge! The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has published an interactive trivia game called "What the Flood!" to test your knowledge of flood-related insurance. Yay for learning! Take the Quiz! | In the News NFIP Reauthorization On June 6, 2019, the President signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2019.
(FEMA, 2019) House Committee Approves 5-Year Flood Insurance Extension with Bipartisan Reforms "The House Financial Services Committee, by a bipartisan vote of 59 to 0, approved the comprehensive measure (H.R.3167) that includes a number of reforms from Republican and Democratic lawmakers to increase affordability, improve mapping, enhance mitigation and modernize the NFIP." Read more from The Insurance Journal. | Flood Risk Communication Toolkit for Community Officials FEMA's Flood Risk Communication Toolkit and videos help FEMA deliver on its promise to provide simpler, more consistent experiences for its customers. These resources are designed to empower community officials when talking with the public about flood risk in the effort to create more resilient homes and communities. The Toolkit and videos showcase the benefits of the mapping program and its role in risk reduction and resilience. Check it out! | Massachusetts Coastal Coalition: New Rules for Private Flood Insurance Lending Regulations On July 1st, the regulations changed for private flood insurance, which is flood insurance obtained outside of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). If a private flood insurance policy meets certain criteria, then lenders have no choice but to accept the policy. This will make business easier for most customers, but is causing some confusion with lenders, as not all policies meet the new rule requirements. Learn more! |  Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, after Hurricane Ike in 2008. | Introduction to Storm Surge Hurricane season is officially upon us and storm surge is a major threat wherever the conditions are right. Storm surge is highly dependent on local features and barriers that will affect the flow of water. Properties far inland from the coast can still be affected by the power of these surges. Learn more! | What to Know Before Buying a Flood Insurance Policy Knowing what questions to ask an insurance agent is key to learning how flood affects your property specifically. A qualified insurance agent can also help you determine if any cost savings are available due to your current or future flood zone status. The more you know, the better prepared you can be! Learn more! |  Flooding from a king tide in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. | King Tides The king tide is the highest predicted high tide of the year at a coastal location. It is above the highest water level reached at high tide on an average day. Average daily water levels are rising along with the oceans. As a result, high tides are reaching higher and extending further inland than in the past. King tides preview how sea level rise will affect coastal places. Learn more! | NFIP Guidance Letter of Determination Review (LODR) A Letter of Determination Review (LODR) allows a property owner to appeal a lender's flood zone determination within 45 days of the lender's notice stating the building is located within the Special Flood Hazard Area. FEMA will verify whether the building’s location was correctly identified on the applicable Flood Insurance Rate Map. FEMA's review of the lender's determination and subsequent response does not result in an amendment or revision to the effective FIRM. It is only a finding as to the location of a building or manufactured home relative to a designated SFHA, which has implications regarding the Federal requirement for purchase of flood insurance. The determination by FEMA will remain in effect until the FIRM affecting the building or manufactured home is physically revised and republished. Learn more! | Real Estate Corner Addressing Homeowner Flood Insurance Misconceptions By Seth Welborn, DS News, June 21, 2019 "According to insuranceQuotes.com’s survey, flood and mold damage are among the most common misconceptions when it comes to homeowner's insurance. The survey revealed that 35% of Americans incorrectly believe that a standard homeowner’s insurance policy covers flood damage, and 34% incorrectly believe that a standard homeowner’s insurance policy covers mold damage." Read more! | Construction within FEMA Floodways & Floodplains - Things to Keep in Mind By Austin Russell, RS&H, October 18, 2018 "During the planning phase of any construction project, it is imperative to verify if a project is located within an area identified as a regulated floodway or floodplain as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Most construction activities within a regulated floodway or floodplain require coordination with FEMA and the local Floodplain Administrator (FPA). These activities include new building construction, existing building expansion, clearing land, placing fill, grading land, mining, dredging, drilling, placement of mobile homes, and more. Many developers are often surprised to learn that coordination with FEMA is necessary even for excavations in the floodplain or floodway. If proper coordination and permitting have not been completed, then more issues can await during construction." Read more! | 7 Tips to Prevent Basement Flooding By Justin Woodard, Angie's List, September 27, 2013 If your basement has ever flooded, or experienced any type of water damage, you know just how stressful it can be. With a few simple maintenance tips and a keen eye, you can greatly reduce your risk of flooding. Learn more! | History Corner Narcissus 1912 Renovation Project Tom Blake, Professional Land Surveyor here at Nadeau Land Surveys, was recently asked for his expertise on a very cool project, and we are excited to be involved. The Narcissus 1912 Renovation Project will restore and research the original 28.5 foot long January 1910 map of the elevation and grade of the right-of-way of the Portland, Gray & Lewiston Railroad (later known as the Portland-Lewiston Interurban in 1914). From Phil Morse, Narcissus Project Manager's blog: "And it was at the open house at the Gray Historical Society that Tom Blake, archivist for the New Gloucester Historical Society and I would meet yesterday (Saturday, June 8) so that he could take a look at the wonderful facsimile map and so I could hand over a memory stick to him which contained copies of the fifteen, high-resolution files of the original map. Tom is a surveyor with the Nadeau Land Surveys: Portland Maine Land Surveyors. Tom will take a look at the files of the map with a surveyor's eye toward deciphering the data listed. With the technology available today, there may be opportunities to use these map files to create some very interesting outcomes that overlay today's landscape and allow us some interesting perspectives in comparing data from the very early 1900s with today." Learn more about the project! | | |
