Newly revised digital flood insurance rate maps for Hamilton County will be available for residents to review at a public open house on Monday. Flood maps show the extent to which areas are at risk for flooding, and are used to help determine flood insurance and building requirements.
The open house provides the residents of Hamilton County and its municipalities the opportunity to see the preliminary maps, learn about their risk of flooding, and ask questions about what the new maps will mean for their property.
Residents can meet one-on-one with a variety of specialists who will be available to talk about flood insurance, engineering, building permits and more.
The open house will be held between 4-7 p.m. at Development Resource Center Room 1A, 1250 Market St., Chattanooga.
The new maps were produced through a partnership among Hamilton County, the state of Tennessee, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They are more precise than older maps because better flood hazard and risk data make the maps more accurate. The ultimate goal is protecting property owners and the community from the risks associated with flooding. Over time, flood risks change due to construction and development, environmental changes, floodplain widening or shifting, and other factors. Flood maps are updated periodically to reflect these changes.
Home and business owners, renters, realtors, mortgage lenders, surveyors and insurance agents are encouraged to attend the open house. All who attend can meet with specialists to ask questions and learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation within their communities. Residents may also visit their local community’s permitting and development office to view the maps in person, or call their local floodplain manager with questions about where their property is located on the preliminary flood maps.
By law, federally regulated or insured mortgage lenders require flood insurance on properties that are located in areas at high risk of flooding. Standard homeowners’, business owners’, and renters’ insurance policies typically don’t cover flood damage, so flood insurance is an important consideration for everyone. Flood insurance policies can be purchased from any state licensed property and casualty insurance agent .