Gazette-Times

Federal officials are revising the maps outlining areas that are most likely to flood in Benton County, and the public will be invited to comment on their work at meetings scheduled for next month.

According to a press release from Rick Osborn, the county's public information officer, a Flood Insurance Study revision recently was completed in Benton County through a partnership between the United States Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency and WEST Consultants, Inc. The revision updates Flood Insurance Rate Maps showing areas that would be inundated by the catastrophic base flood - a flood with a 1-percent chance of occurring in a given year, also known as the "100-year flood."

The new maps will be used by federally-regulated lending institutions and insurance agents to determine which property owners must purchase flood insurance and the cost of that insurance, if it is necessary. The maps also will be used by city and county officials for flood plain management and permitting purposes. The maps - applying to all of Benton County - result from improved information about topography and geographic features, and not from new analysis or modeling of flood hydrology.

By October, local jurisdictions will be required to adopt updated flood-related code provisions in order to maintain current standing with the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System. Under this system, residents of unincorporated Benton County currently receive a 20-percent discount on flood insurance premiums. FEMA has developed the updated maps, and Benton County has 30 days to review and provide comment. Within about six months, the county will amend the flood plain portion of the Benton County Development Code and adopt the new maps. Copies of the maps are available online at www.co.ben

ton.or.us/cd.

A public meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Benton Plaza Meeting Room, 408 S.W. Monroe Ave. Representatives from FEMA, WEST Consultants, Inc., and state land use officials are among those who will attend.