FEMA Flood Elevation Maps Release Helps Property Owners

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released new Advisory Base Flood Elevation Maps (ABFEs) for Rockland’s waterfront on Thursday and briefed officials from Nyack, South Nyack, Piermont, Clarkstown, Grandview, Stony Point, Haverstraw and the county on Friday.

Chris Jensen of the county’s Office of Fire & Emergency Services said the ABFEs are preliminary and should be finalized and adopted by FEMA and local governments by the end of the year.  They provide information about flood levels for property owners along the Hudson River, especially those in Piermont and Stony Point impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Jensen said the maps show estimated potential flood levels and heights of how much properties should be elevated above sea level. In addition to the FEMA number, there is a New York State elevation requirement.

These numbers have not been formally adopted,” he explained. “They are advisory numbers. The new numbers are greater than the prior numbers.” 

Jensen said information gives people the tools to starting moving ahead with rebuilding plans. 

“In both communities people have been in a holding pattern because they did not know what the current numbers would be,” he said, adding that Nyack and Haverstraw was also hard hit by the storm.

County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef said the ABFEs reflect the best available data from the most recent analysis of coastal flood hazards along the Hudson River.  The ABFEs are based on sound science and engineering, and are derived from more recent data and improved study methodologies, compared to the data and analyses used to prepare the existing Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).

“These maps will clearly be helpful to community members in making decisions to reduce their flood risk,” said Vanderhoef.

According to the FEMA maps in certain areas of Nyack, Piermont and Stony Point, properties would have to be rebuilt to be at least 12 feet above sea level and in Piermont 

“It’s prudent for them to build their homes to the new standards,” said Jensen.

He noted that Rockland was not initially part of the project but county and federal representatives pushed to have it included after Hurricane Sandy.  Jensen said the ABFE was wrapped into a two-year process begun in 2011 that assessed all flood zones throughout the county. He said those flood zones maps are being reviewed and finalized.

For more information on the ABFEs, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, or www.fema.gov/blog.