City of Grant - City Map

Appeals to FEMA Floodplain Maps

The City of Grant has submitted an appeal of the flood zones that have less than one square mile of drainage area. The City recently found out they only had 30 days to do so. The following documents show the properties included in the appeal:

List of appealed parcels
List of appealed floodplains
Affected parcels with existing buildings outside of proposed floodplain - map
Proposed floodplain areas with a tributary of less than 1 square mile - map

The process for residents:

May 22, 2008	The City is accepting data that challenges the base flood elevations of floodplain areas or floodplain boundaries (better topographic data) to use in the appeal. This data is for entire floodplains not individual lots. Typically residents will not have this kind of data available, which is why the City is appealing on the behalf of the residents.
June, 2008	City submits their appeal.
February, 2009	FEMA maps become effective (possibly later).
Spring 2009	Lenders will start working with the maps and property owners. This is when a LOMA may be needed.

At this time the City is NOT asking you to submit a LOMA.

An outline of the FEMA map update process and timeline is here.

Key points from the Minnesota DNR:

The maps are preliminary.
There is an appeal period in process right now. Examples of what can be challenged include: if someone (usually needs to be a professional engineer) has technical data to show a different flood elevation, if a newly mapped flood hazard area is from a drainage area of less than one square mile, or if there are updated topography data that can be used to more accurately draw the boundary of the floodplain(for a relatively large area; not for individual lots).
The very earliest the maps could become effective would be February 2009, and it will most likely be March or April 2009.
Lenders will not require flood insurance for the newly mapped areas until the new maps are effective (most likely March or April 2009), and they won't drop the flood insurance requirements for those currently in the mapped floodplain until the new maps are effective.
Flood insurance is only mandatory if the STRUCTURE is in the high flood hazard area.
Flood insurance is available to anyone living in a community that participates in the national flood insurance program (NFIP). (include link to who participates) And the premiums outside of the mapped high flood hazard areas are less expensive.
Usually, if a lender is shown clearer information on where the structure is relative to the mapped high flood hazard area, and the structure is not in or near the mapped floodplain, the lender will not require the flood insurance.
If the structure is not in the flood hazard area, but the lender won't accept the clearer information (aerial where the structure can be seen relative to the floodplain), that such and such supporting information is needed to apply to FEMA for a LOMA-OAS.
If the structure is shown in the high flood hazard area, but the landowner has survey data that show the lowest ground touching the structure is higher than the flood elevation, they can apply to FEMA for a LOMA.
Being outside of the mapped high flood hazard areas is no guarantee of staying dry! Landowners are encouraged to consider buying the cheaper flood insurance available when the structure is not in a high flood hazard risk zone.