Updates to Hamilton County Flood Insurance Rate Map are nearly complete. The new map will provide Hamilton County with up-to-date flood risk information and tools that can be used to enhance local mitigation plans and help officials and residents make better decisions about reducing flood risks and purchasing flood insurance.
The county’s mapping project is part of a nationwide effort led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to increase local knowledge of flood risks and support actions to address and reduce those risks. The work in the city of Red Bank has been led by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and FEMA Region IV, in partnership with local community officials.
Before the new Flood Insurance Rate Map is finalized, a 90-day appeal period will give residents and business owners a chance to provide additional technical data or non-technical comments for FEMA’s consideration.
Hamilton County officials encourage residents and business owners to review the proposed map changes, learn about local flood risks and potential flood insurance requirements, and share any concerns or questions.
If members of the community notice incorrect information that does not involve changing the flood hazard-related information–such as a missing or misspelled road name or an incorrect corporate boundary–a written correction, or “comment,” can be submitted. If members of the community have concerns about certain areas of the map and have technical and scientific information–such as detailed hydraulic or hydrologic data–that can be used to improve the maps, they may file an appeal during the 90-day appeal period.
All comments and appeals must be submitted through the local officials. Because submitting an appeal requires some time and effort, we encourage property owners and renters to review the updated flood maps now. If you are interested in submitting an appeal, we highly recommend that you first discuss it with your local officials so they can provide guidance on the process. For more details about this process, visit https://fema.gov.