VENICE, FLA. — Sarasota residents Gloria Brady and George Castell are just two of about 100 people came attended the first of four meetings about FEMA’s new flood zone maps.
“There’s a lot of people, [they] said are going into a flood zone this year,” said Brady.
She left the meeting relieved because. She’s not one of those people. At least not this year.
“We’re high and dry,” she said. “There are lakes all around us, and they’re like retention ponds in a lot of ways. That’s what we found out, and we’re very happy.”
She and many in her neighborhood are not required to get flood insurance. Castell, on the other hand, does live in a flood zone. However, he was informed that his house might be at a high enough elevation where he can apply with FEMA to have his property removed from the flood zone.
He will have to get an inspection and be approved first. two things can happen if he’s approved: 1. His flood insurance cost will be reduced. 2. He won’t be required to have flood insurance.
“That will be a great saving per year,” he said. “That will help in this economy.”
Noah Taylor, the county’s certified floodplain manager, said about 10,000 properties are no longer in a flood zone this year, but 6,000 properties have been added.
If you don’t own your property outright, you are required to have flood insurance. Flood insurance isn’t required if you own your property or are not in a flood zone, but it is recommended.
“Unfortunately, we’re required by law to adopt these maps if we want to be in the national flood insurance program,” Taylor said. “We don’t have a choice on whether they have to carry flood insurance or not. That’s on their bank or how they own their property.”
You can go to SCGOV.net to see the interactive map and find out if you are in a flood zone. The county does have three other meetings planned this week. you can find those dates, times, and locations on the county’s site.
