State 3 to FEMA: Widen flood-map delay

WASHINGTON — A trio of Arkansas lawmakers has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to grant a 90-day extension to all counties affected by the agency’s “heavy handed” new federal flood-plain designations.

In a sharply worded letter sent Wednesday to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor along with 1st District Rep. Marion Berry, cited the 90-day extension provided to Crittenden County. That additional time for meeting the new federal guidelines came as a result of Monday’s heated meeting in West Memphis between Fugate and some 600 area residents.

“FEMA’s implementation of the Flood Map Modernization Program has been confusing and frustrating for us and our constituents,” the three Democratic legislators wrote.

“The lack of communication and coordination between FEMA and local officials is unacceptable and the root of many ongoing problems,” the letter continued. “Local leaders need more time to evaluate floodplain management ordinances and the effect of those ordinances on their residents.”

Berry issued a statement Thursday reiterating that the West Memphis meeting coupled with the congressional letter should “provide Administrator Fugate with a clear picture of the overall issue and the confusion on the local level. It is our hope that he heeds our advice and provides all affected counties with a 90-day extension.”

FEMA spokesman Brad Carroll provided a statement Thursday confirming that the agency had received the letter from the Arkansas lawmakers and that the agency “has been in touch with their staffs, and will respond directly to them in a timely manner.”

“We continue to work with communities and members of Congress to include and incorporate any verifiable data that will strengthen the flood maps,” Carroll said.

The effort to redraw the flood-plain maps has agitated Arkansas lawmakers since the process began. After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, Congress mandated that FEMA re-evaluate areas that fall under a 100-year flood risk - meaning there is a 1 percent chance each year of a catastrophic flood.

That has resulted in changes to the maps that will have ramifications for those who live in areas such as the Delta. Officials have said millions of home and business owners nationwide would need to buy flood insurance because of the revised maps, including an estimated 125,000 households in Arkansas - which also happens be the first state where the new designations are being implemented.

Monday’s extension applied only to Crittenden County, where the new maps had been scheduled to take effect July 6. Other cities and counties are to follow throughout the summer, although the changes went into effect June 18 for Blytheville and all of Mississippi County.

Most, but not all, of the towns in Mississippi County met that deadline to pass the flood-plain ordinances required to maintain participation in the federal flood insurance program, said David Lendennie, coordinator of the county’s emergency 911 and flood-plain management programs.

But the county has not completed work on an ordinance that officials passed in February, Lendennie said. That means anyone living in areas where an ordinance is not in place will not be able to purchase or renew federal flood insurance.

“This situation results in some community residents and structures being cut off from federal disaster assistance and federal financial assistance for acquisition or construction,” the letter to FEMA said. “This is a troubling scenario for Arkansas communities.”

And that could have “devastating” ramifications for homeowners with federally backed mortgages, the letter continued - and Lendennie agreed.

“My concern is for the residents in those flood-plain areas who currently have homes backed by a federal mortgage,” he said.

Lendennie said county officials have been in contact with FEMA officials, and they’re working to see if they can find “a way to move the ordinance forward” so residents can maintain their flood insurance. But the lawmakers still want the federal agency to give all the counties more time to pass their flood-plain management ordinances.

“It is unacceptable that the federal government would not provide disaster assistance to our communities if it were needed,” Pryor, Lincoln and Berry wrote, later adding that “this heavy handed approach to updating our nation’s flood maps could have drastic economic implications for many of our communities.”