A multi-year government initiative to update and digitize the nation's floodplain maps has left many affected residents complaining that the new maps are inaccurate. The Federal Emergency Management Agency started the program, at a cost of $200 million per year, in 2004 and says some of the new maps have won final approval while others are still in the preliminary stages of development, The Associated Press reports.
FEMA says the program will allow for better zoning and help prevent future catastrophes, but some affected people say "the new maps are riddled with inaccuracies, seem arbitrarily drawn, and will stifle growth and hurt property values," AP reports. Garden City, Kan., has sued to prevent FEMA's new map of the city from taking effect because the area around drainage ditches dug 20 years ago would now be designated as flood-prone even though they've never had a problem.
A FEMA spokesperson told AP that most of the changes are due to advances in mapping technology that allow for better analysis, but the agency is open to changes suggested during the public comment period of the process. AP's story cites examples of map complaints in rural areas in Iowa, Kansas and Vermont. Rural journalists around the country would be well-served to see if their communities have new floodplain maps and check their accuracy. (Read more)
UPDATE, Jan. 26: Here's a local story from Lynda Waddington of the Iowa Independent.
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