Owners of nearly 800 properties in a western Indiana town could be forced to buy flood insurance unless the town can provide federal officials proof that its levee system will provide protection.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to end accreditation for the West Terre Haute levee, the only FEMA-accredited levee in Vigo County, within a month because it lacks required federal documentation that allows the town to be listed as a moderate flood insurance risk.
The de-accreditation stems from FEMA’s move to change its flood insurance rate maps from paper maps to digital maps, said Roger Denick, an engineer for Strategic Alliance for Risk Reduction, a consulting group for FEMA. Under a 1986 regulation, any changes in these maps require that certified levees meet federal accreditation standards.
FEMA officials notified the West Terre Haute Levee Association on Feb. 13, 2007, that it had two years to provide the documentation to support accreditation. No reports were filed with FEMA, prompting the agency to begin the de-accreditation process, Denick said.
“We have no way of determining if this levee meets the federal standards or not, so we have to initiate the de-accreditation,” Denick said. “FEMA wants to ensure the levee was designed properly and does meet requirements.”
For the West Terre Haute levee to regain its accreditation, a professional engineer must certify that the levee is 3 feet above a base flood elevation. In addition, the town must prove that there is no appreciable erosion of levee embankments, that the embankment is stable and that seepage will not jeopardize its foundation.
Such work could cost $250,000 to $425,000, said Arbie Montgomery, a founding member of the West Terre Haute Levee Association – money officials say the town can’t afford.
“It’s a money game. That levee is in great shape. There is no tree growth, ground squirrels or nothing,” Montgomery said.
Unless accreditation is restored before the new maps are drawn, 787 parcels in town would be reclassified as a high insurance risk area. Any homeowner would be required to purchase flood insurance, Denick said.
Such insurance costs an average of about $500 a year for $100,000 of coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program.
Montgomery said few residents have such insurance now.
“There’s maybe three people in this town that have flood insurance,” Montgomery said. “If you own your home, you don’t have to get the insurance.”
The FEMA de-accreditation letter is expected to be issued within a month. After that, FEMA will begin revising its flood insurance rate map, a process that could last at least 18 months. Public meetings and a 90-day period for residents to challenge the new map will follow.
Information from: Tribune-Star, http://www.tribstar.com
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