TODAY: FEMA Expanded Flood Risk Information To Help Central Texas Rebuild
Second Public Open House Scheduled to Release Expanded Flood Risk Information
Wednesday, Sept. 2 – from 2 p.m.-8 p.m.
What: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs) for portions of Hays, Guadalupe, and Caldwell counties in Central Texas. These advisory maps indicate how high floodwater may rise during a major flood based on the most current data and latest technology. FEMA encourages communities and property owners to use this information in instances where base flood elevations have increased and/or where properties are located in areas identified as having expanded risks. Using this advisory information will help State and local officials with rebuilding and recovery efforts.
Who: Homeowners, renters and business owners in the Guadalupe River Basin are encouraged to look over newly released Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) maps in order to determine their flood risks and make informed decisions as they rebuild after recent flooding.
Where: The second open house in Central Texas will be held at the Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, TX 78676, for residents of the City of Wimberley, City of Woodcreek and unincorporated areas of Hays County. An additional Open House will be scheduled in the coming weeks for the San Marcos and Martindale area. Individuals who have a disability and require an accommodation to attend this meeting should contact Linda Landers, 940-230-6765, Linda.Landers@fema.dhs.gov, at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
When: September 2, 2015, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
To produce ABFEs, FEMA used updated flood risk data and analysis previously developed by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in partnership with local communities, the State of Texas, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The information FEMA and the State are sharing is advisory in nature and will not increase current flood insurance premiums or change Federal flood insurance purchase requirements at this time, but building to these higher standards may lower flood insurance premiums for home and business owners. Property owners should consider this information now, as it will be used to develop updated flood insurance rate maps in the near future. ABFEs are available for portions of Hays County in Texas including the Blanco River and Cypress Creek near Wimberley. FEMA is expecting that those for Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties will be out soon, and will include the Blanco River near San Marcos, and the San Marcos River near Martindale along the Caldwell and Guadalupe County lines. More information on ABFEs is available at www.RiskMAP6.com.
