Chadron considers joining flood insurance program
By GEORGE LEDBETTER, Record Editor Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Chadron property owners would be able to purchase insurance against flooding, which isn’t currently available to them, if the city agrees to join the National Flood Insurance program, a state official told the Chadron City Council Monday.
And, while flooding may seem an unlikely hazard in an arid region, experience shows that it can happen, Dawes County Commissioner Don Blausey reminded the council during a public hearing on an ordinance to join the program.
“In 1991, the White River flooded with devastating effect. In 1993, Chadron Creek flooded. All of our creeks in the county have flooded,” said Blausey, who noted that the county recently joined the flood insurance program because of residents’ requests.
Chadron rejected the program in 1976, and federally subsidized flood insurance hasn’t been available to property owners since that time, said Bill Jones of the state Department of Natural Resources. DNR now has a mandate to create flood plain maps for the entire state, and adoption of the map, plus ordinances related to building construction in flood plain areas, will start the process that makes low cost flood insurance available, he said.
The map that Jones showed the council Monday identifies only a few sparsely developed areas of the city as flood plain, although he agreed that some localized areas could also be considered at risk of flooding, because the map only depicts hazard zones larger than a square mile.
The insurance made available if the city joins the national program protects property owners whether they are in or out of a flood plain from damages caused by surface water flooding, said Jones.
Besides adopting the flood plain map, the city must have ordinances that limit building in flood plains, and specify construction details for development that is approved in those areas.
Enforcement of those regulations is handled by city officials, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency can check to see if the rules are being followed, said Jones. Existing buildings in a flood plain are ‘grandfathered’ but would have to be brought up to code if they undergo major renovations, he said.
“The main intent (of the code) is to reduce damage losses (to flooding),” said Jones.
Adoption of the flood plain map and codes won’t automatically make the lowest cost flood insurance available, because FEMA must review and accept the state generated map, noted Jones. That process could take as long as five years, he said, but flood insurance would be available in the meantime under an emergency clause.
Council members questioned Jones about some of the details of the national program, but took no action on the measure, which will come up for a vote on third reading at the Nov. 17 meeting.
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