New flood maps to be exhibited at 3 hearings in 3 counties

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Flood Map Modernization Program recently released updated, preliminary digital flood hazard maps that show the extent to which areas throughout Saline, Hardin and Pope counties are at risk for flooding.

The new flood maps will be officially presented to county and local officials as well as the public tonight, tomorrow and Sept. 1.

The new maps will undergo a month long review/comment period before their final adoption in mid to late 2011, according to state officials.

The revised maps will provide more recent, Internet-accessible information about flood risk, replacing maps that are several years old. They will also help community planners, engineers, builders and others to make determinations about where and how new structures and developments should be built, state officials say in a prepared release.

The newly released maps are part of a larger effort to modernize the nation's aging flood maps to reflect more current flood risks and areas of recent growth. Water flow and drainage patterns change over time and the likelihood of flooding in certain areas may have changed as well.

Hardin, Gallatin and Saline counties are three of 75 Illinois counties funded for map modernization.

Flood hazard maps, also known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), indicate whether properties are in areas of high, moderate or low flood risk. In reviewing the new maps, some property owners may find their risk is higher or lower than they thought.

If the risk level for a property changes so may the requirement to carry flood insurance.

To ensure all residents and property owners understand the map change process, IDNR is hosting public open houses on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in each of the counties.

The meetings provide residents the opportunity to view the new maps, submit comments, and learn how their properties may be affected.

A separate meeting for county and public officials will take place earlier each afternoon.

Residents can also view the new maps online at www.illinoisfloodmaps.org and submit comments to Shelly Fuller at shelly.fuller@illinois.gov.

IDNR will accept comments through Sept. 30, 2010, Fuller said.