According to a news release from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, residents and business owners in the cities of Austin, Cedar Park, Coupland, Georgetown, Hutto, Leander, Round Rock, Taylor, Pflugerville and unincorporated areas of Williamson County may submit appeals or comments on the maps.
The new flood risk information and Flood Insurance Rate Maps, or FIRM, resulted from a long-term flood study by a team of local community, state, FEMA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials, according to the release.
The digital maps show current flood hazards and replace flood maps that are based on outdated studies and technology. The maps provide more precise flood hazard information, including places affecting by the Memorial Day 2015 floods and other major floods since 2000, according to the release.
Officials are encouraging property owners to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements. If they see incorrect information that does not change the flood hazard information, such as a missing or misspelled road name or an incorrect corporate boundary, they can submit a written comment. They can also submit an appeal if they perceive that modeling or data used to create the map is technically or scientifically incorrect. An appeal must include technical information, such as hydraulic or hydrologic data, to support the claim, according to the FEMA press release.
The public may reach out to their county office or local community floodplain administrator with any appeals.
The deadlines for submitting appeals or comments are:
- City of Austin: May 14
- City of Cedar Park: May 14
- Williamson County (unincorporated areas): May 14
- City of Coupland: May 14
- City of Georgetown: May 14
- City of Hutto: May 14
- City of Leander: May 14
- City of Round Rock: May 14
- City of Taylor: May 14
- City of Pflugerville: May 15
In addition to viewing the preliminary maps at their local floodplain administrator’s office, residents and business owners may also view the preliminary flood maps online. Once appeals and comments are resolved, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps, which is targeted for spring 2019, according to the FEMA press release.
