Legal Notices
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LEGAL NOTICES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECUR~TY FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Proposed flood Hazard Determinations for Bristol County, Massachusetts (All Jurisdictions) The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued a preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and where applicable, Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report, reflecting proposed flood hazard determinations within Bristol County, Massachusetts (All Jurisdictions). These flood hazard determinations may include the addition or modification of Base Flood Elevations, base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory floodway. Technical information or comments are solicited on the proposed flood hazard determinations shown on the preliminary FIRM andf or FIS report for Bristol County, Massachusetts (All Jurisdictions). These flood hazard determinations are the basis for the floodplain management measures that your community is required to either adopt or show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. However, before these determinations are effective for floodplain management purposes, you will be provided an opportunity to appeal the proposed information. For information on the statutory 90-day period provided for appeals, as well as a complete listing of the communities affected and the locations where copies of the FIRM are available for review, please visit FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/plan/preventlfhmf bfe, or call the FEMA Map Information eXchange (FMDQ toll free at 1-877 -FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627). NW~N13i54565 .&. FEA III June 24, 2014 II This Fact Sheet provides Narragansett Bay • a background information • a :: Watershed, Massachusetts on the National Flood •*q * a ••* S What is the NEIP? Insurance Program (NFIP) S.. 5 Congress established the National Flood S. a.. which is administered by a... Insurance Program (NFIP) due to escalating the Department of .1~i1 costs to taxpayers for flood disaster relief. The NFIP is based on the agreement that if a S. Homeland Security’s ta * a ..* community practices sound floodplain • a asia ..b. a.. • a management, the Federal Government will make Federal Emergency ‘a ic: ::;: a flood insurance available to residents in that • 5 Management Agency a... community. FEMA maps include the Special S. 1’’~ Flood Hazard Area, which is the area that has a (FEMA), as well as an .. .: LIMITOF 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given overview of the flood a. MODERATE .5 . year. Development may take place within the hazard mapping process WAVE ACTION Special Flood Hazard Area (SEHA) provided a. that it complies with local floodplain ordinances underway in areas of S. S that meet NFIP criteria. Bristol, Norfolk, and B ::~‘ What are a FIRM and a FIS Report? EL Plymouth Counties, S.. When FEMA maps flood hazards in a :! ~ Massachusetts located O’7 1 p. x community or county, two regulatory products within the Narragansett .~ are produced a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) - ::g~: .•. .,a.. •—* . a 5 a Report and a Flood Insurance Rate Map Bay Watershed. The !~ :~ a.• a4 .a.k. (FIRM). An FIS is a narrative report of the county’s Flood Insurance • 5! community’s flood hazards that contains prior a. • at. flooding information, descriptions of the Rate Maps (FIRMs) are •aj •5• ~. • EL a .7. ~ ~ •. : V.4~:: . ) flooding sources, information on flood • . * . a being revised using the • Sa protection measures, and a description of the - I • •S S.. •1 ~ ~ • o•. hydrologic and hydraulic methods used in the latest technologies and the 136”~ ~ —a. 4 • • 4~a study. A FIRM illustrates the extent of flood most current data so •ti • . S - • a hazards in a community by depicting flood risk .. S. a%7..~Tj~qra~ .- a ç.k~..Ø’.’- a 1154 zones and the Special Flood Hazard Areas, and residents, homeowners, rt,.~p... - •15 St • -. !4 is used with the FIS report to determine the business owners, and it ZONE: E’4~ • S. floodplain development regulations that apply in E~%12) %tr~.. •1 ~ each flood risk zone and who must buy flood community officials may 4. a...4r....)~a., - • .5 a,. a • p ~ — a. insurance. FIRMs also depict other information • ~ ~ a a understand the local flood I •~ ...3a... including Base (1% annual chance) Flood -• ?%&‘ i_se. - . a .C. • •~ —_ • a Elevations (BFEs) and flood depths, floodways, risk and keep people and a • and common physical features such as roads. property safe from floods. a &4e~fl,.st. a tF~7?P. m?•%~ fl._4~r’ ~ S.. a • ., . Gc~1E t1;:~. .(4v. ,-__ ••t~fl. • .~ ~.%. •-• a... S’ a.~J ,j111(4,g..aj.. • ~::~:: Flood Hazard Mapping Fact Sheet — Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth Counties, Mal Why are the maps being updated? What is an Appeal? All communities in Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth Communities in Bristol (Acushnet, Attleboro, Berkley, Counties, Massachusetts received updated FIRMs and a Dighton, Freetown, Mansfield, Norton, Raynham, FIS report from FEMA in July 2009, June 2014, and Seekonk, and Taunton), Norfolk (Foxborough and July 2012, respectively. The maps that went Effective in Plainville), and Plymouth (Bridgewater, East July 2009, June 2014, and July 2012 were the first set of Bridgewater, Halifax, Lakeville, Middleborough, and digital maps for Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth Rochester) Counties that have changes to their flood Counties, Massachusetts, respectively. However, hazard determinations will have an Appeal Period during many flood hazards identified in Bristol, Norfolk, and which technical information or comments are solicited Plymouth Counties are from the 1970’s, 1980’s, and on the proposed flood hazard determinations shown on 1990’s. FEMA strives to improve its risk the Preliminary FIRM, and where applicable, the FIS identification and continually evaluates and report. These flood hazard determinations may include incorporates new approaches where and when additions or modifications of any BFE, Special Flood necessary. The new Preliminary maps that were Hazard Area boundary or zone designation, or regulatory issued on June 24, 2014 incorporate updated floodway on the FIRM. Special Flood Hazard Areas are engineering analyses and data within the Narragansett areas subject to inundation by the base (1-percent- Bay Watershed. We have revised only those FIRM annual-chance) flood. Floodways are the channel of a panels with updated flood hazard information. river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base On many flooding sources throughout the Narragansett flood. Bay Watershed, the SFHAs and BFEs were Challenges that do not relate to proposed or modified produced using new hydrologic and hydraulic BFEs, SFHA boundaries, SFHA zone designations, or analyses and the SFHAs were delineated using 1-foot floodways are considered comments. Comments include, topographic data obtained through Light Detection but are not limited to: and Ranging (LiDAR). Additionally, in areas where • Corporate limit revisions; new hydrologic and hydraulic analyses were not • Road name errors and revisions; completed, the SFHA may have changed due to the • Base map errors; and use of the more precise topographic data to delineate • Other possible omissions or potential improvements the flood hazard boundaries. In areas where there to the mapping. were no new studies or information was available, the current effective digital SFHA was incorporated onto When is the Appeal Period? a new base map. An Appeal Period will begin after the second publication How do I find out if a structure or property is of a notice of proposed flood hazard determinations in a located in the Special Flood Hazard Area? newspaper that has circulation in your county. The Appeal Period continues for 90 days after the second You can locate a building or a lot by consulting the publication in the local newspaper. All comments and/or FIRM, or by contacting the floodplain administrator for your community. For help interpreting a FIRM, appeals must be submitted during this 90-day Appeal telephone the FEMA Map Information eXchange Period. (FMIX) at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627). You may also view historic and effective FIRMs digitally at Wha happens after the Appeal Period? FEMA’s Map Service Center website FEMA will issue a Letter of Final Determination (LFD) (http://msc.fema.~ov). after the Appeal Period and after all appeals and comments are resolved. After the LFD has been issued, the communities in Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth Counties will have six months to adopt up-to-date floodplain management ordinances. If the floodplain ordinances in effect are satisfactory in accordance with State law, they can be submitted in their current form. Communities should veri1~i this with their State NFIP Coordinator. If ordinances need to be updated, communities should seek assistance from their State usetts June 24, 2014 The Mapping Process The key steps in the mapping process are outlined below. Additionally, the points at which community officials and property owners may provide comments and express concerns with the information in the FIS report and FIRM are highlighted below. Scoping Communit~ Final FIS Community Letter of Final And IVIap Review And FIRM IVI ceti n g Determination Production Period Effective • These tasks have • Preliminary FIS • A community • Issued by FEMA • Six rnonth~ after been completed and FIRM issued meeting, open to following the the Letter of Final to all communities the public, to appeal period Deterthihation • Community present new FIS • Federal Register • FlSabd FIRM comments on and FIRM and to notice published published and Preliminary FIS review NFIP distributed by and FIRM requirements FEMA • 90-day appeal • The new Effective period begins after FIS and FIRM a second ‘public available at notice community offices and at FEMA’s NFIP Coordinator or the Regional FEMA office in How can I request a LOMA? Boston. After the six-month compliance period, the new FIS and FIRM will become Effective. To obtain a LOMA, the requester must complete a LOMA application form that is downloadable from: What if a structure is shown in a different flood h : www.fema.