After four years of contesting data used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop flood maps for the Carson Valley, a ruling by a Scientific Resolution Panel found the FEMA requirements doesn't meet its own flood insurance program mapping standards.
Douglas County, which filed a lawsuit against FEMA in September 2009, was notified by the panel on July 18. The panel determined that FEMA?s data does not satisfy National Flood Insurance Program mapping standards defined in FEMA?s Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners and must be revisited, according to a news release by Douglas County.
Officials have scheduled a meeting with FEMA representatives in early August to discuss next steps, timing and funding for remapping the flood areas.
?This is an outstanding victory for our residents,? said County Manager Steve Mokrohisky in the news release. ?We anticipate the result will be new FEMA flood maps that utilize accurate data and ultimately reduce the cost of flood insurance for our residents.?
Douglas County appealed the base flood elevations and base flood depths proposed by FEMA for multiple flooding sources as shown on the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map from April 2008. After consultation between FEMA and the County failed to resolve the appeal, Douglas County filed suit against FEMA in U.S. District Court alleging that FEMA?s data and analyses were scientifically or technically incorrect, according to the news release.
The county and FEMA entered into a settlement agreement in October 2011 calling for adjudication of the appeal by a scientific review. The appeal has been complex in that many aspects of the hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, as well as the accuracy of the mapping, were contested for multiple flooding sources. Douglas County and its residents, with support from various consultants, including Manhard Consulting Ltd, R.O. Anderson Engineering Inc., and Wood Rodgers Inc., identified 12 technical issues to be addressed by the SRP.
?Many people contributed to the successful outcome of this issue, but no single person worked as hard, as passionately or as long as our former County Engineer Mahmood Azad,? said Mokrohisky. ?Those of us that knew Mahmood understand the passion and vigor that he brought to his work and we are grateful for his efforts on behalf of our residents. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this sad time.?
County officials were notified that Mahmood Azad died suddenly this week. Mr. Azad was a storm water management expert and led Douglas County?s early efforts to challenge and ultimately appeal the FEMA flood maps.
Source: http://southtahoenow.com/story/07/22/2012/douglas-county-prevails-appeal-fema-flood-maps
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