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STATE OF UTAH –You may have had direct contact with your city or county on a 90-day appeal period that is currently taking place on newly drafted flood maps throughout the state. Cities and counties are making sure people see them because it could affect homeowner’s insurance, for example.
And for most people, it’s just something you want to keep an eye on if you know you live in one of these areas.
On KVNU’s For the People program on Wednesday, Jamie Huff, Risk Map program manager with the Utah Division of Emergency Management said it is a years-long process.
“That’s correct, yeah, we started this process with Cache County in about the 2015 time frame and so it’s a culmination of many years of coordination with both local communities, the state as well as FEMA to get these maps revised and updated into the communities hands,” Huff explained.
She explained more about why these maps are important.
“Well, flood risks are really useful tools not only for the property owner but for your community officials as well, to make informed planning decisions about building safer and being more resilient to flooding. Our maps, they are used by communities and property owners to inform the risk, first and foremost. Where are those high-risk areas located.”
Then, she said, communities can update local plans, codes and ordinances to help make sure that property owners are building safely in these areas. You can see the maps and what went into making them at FloodHazards.Utah.gov.
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