It’s October; Do you know where your flood insurance is?

New Flood Insurance Rate Maps issued by FEMA went into effect for Shawnee County on October 1, 2011. Some property owners with federally insured loans will be
getting notices from their lenders that they must obtain flood insurance or be in violation of the terms of their mortgage. There are probably about three people who actually read their mortgage when they bought or refinanced their home, but believe me, the requirement to obtain flood insurance if the property is in the flood zone is really in there.

A number of areas are new to the flood zone as of October 1 and you can check whether your property is included at snmapmod.snco.us. In an unrelated FEMA
determination, however, FEMA has ruled that the levee system protecting areas north of the Kansas River in Topeka is deficient, and since the levees were not upgraded to Post-Katrina FEMA standards by October 1, 2011, areas north of the river will be included in the high-risk flood area the next time FEMA prepares a new Flood Insurance Rate Map for Shawnee County. According to an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal on October 20, 2011, the map will not be redrawn until funds are available for such a project; and when money IS available, the process with be a 2 ½ to three-year project to complete.

What does this mean?

1. Unless the levee system is upgraded, there is an unknown area north of the Kansas River that will be included in the flood zone the next time the maps are drawn, so property owners with mortgages will be required by their lender to purchase flood insurance. (I’m guessing this area will roughly include property which was flooded in 1951.)

2. FEMA currently considers these properties to be at risk, but since the flood maps were just issued without this declaration, flood insurance will not be required by lenders.

3. But if FEMA considers the property to be at risk, shouldn’t owners have flood insurance for their own protection?

4. Flood insurance for properties not in flood zones on the map is relatively inexpensive.

5. Only government agencies can create such ridiculous circumstances.

6. Buy flood insurance if your property was under water in the 1951 flood; and if your property is in the flood zone hazard areas in the new map, buy flood insurance even if you don’t have a lender.