General public provided opportunity to find out more about new flood maps on August 19-20, 2019
The Mississippi/FEMA Risk MAP Team will host two Flood Risk Public Open Houses scheduled for Monday, August 19, and Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at the times and venues shown below.
Lower Leaf Watershed Flood Risk Lower Leaf Watershed Flood Risk
Public Open House #1 Public Open House #2
Date: Monday, August 19, 2019 Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Central Time Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Central Time
Place: The Cameron Center, Place: Petal Civic Center
711 N. 10th Ave. 212A S. Main St.
Laurel, MS 39440 Petal, MS 39465
The open houses will provide the public with an opportunity to review the recently completed preliminary Flood Insurance Study and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) that include base flood information and identification of areas subject to flood hazards for the following communities: City of Ellisville, City of Hattiesburg, City of Laurel, City of New Augusta, City of Petal, Town of McLain, Town of Richton, and portions of the unincorporated areas of Greene County, Forrest County, Jones County and Perry County. The new preliminary maps covering the above listed communities will also be available for viewing on the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Flood Mapping web site at:
Forrest Co.: http://geology.deq.ms.gov/floodmaps/Projects/RiskMAP/?county=Forrest
Greene Co.: http://geology.deq.ms.gov/floodmaps/Projects/RiskMAP/?county=Greene
Jones Co.: http://geology.deq.ms.gov/floodmaps/Projects/RiskMAP/?county=Jones
Perry Co.: http://geology.deq.ms.gov/floodmaps/Projects/RiskMAP/?county=Perry
The team, which includes representatives from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Mississippi Geographic Information LLC, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will be available to address questions from the public. Local and state officials will also be present to provide information about flood risk, flood insurance, floodplain development requirements, and the process used for floodplain mapping.
Once the preliminary FIRMs become effective, these maps will be used by floodplain permit officials, builders and developers, lenders, realtors, insurance agents, and the general public to determine flood risk.
Property owners, realtors, lenders, and insurance agents are encouraged to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation. Contact a community Floodplain Administrator to learn if a home or business is located within a special flood hazard area which will require flood insurance if there is a federally-backed loan.
