Oklahoma Resident’s Protests Prompt Flood Map Change

Article

Residents of Lake McAlester in Oklahoma are no longer in a Federal Emergency Management Area flood zone after an uncommon re-mapping of the area.

“This is the only area in the state of Oklahoma that has been ever been re-mapped by FEMA,” according to Kent Wilkins of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

Once FEMA designates an area a flood zone, according to Wilkins, the map is law and property owners are required by their mortgage companies to obtain flood insurance. The mandatory flood insurance can, in some cases, put a hardship on the homeowner if they cannot afford the additional monthly premium.

Resident Billy James lives on a hill above Lake McAlester and said for his property to flood, the whole City of McAlester would flood. “For my land to flood it would have to be a flood of biblical proportions,” James said.

When James was notified by his mortgage company about the flood insurance, he said was unemployed and could not afford the additional insurance. “I had calls all day long from my mortgage company demanding that I pay for this insurance. When I told them that there was no way I could be in a flood zone they said they could do nothing about it,” James said.

“I told them that live at least 15 feet above the dam. For my land to be flooded, the whole city of McAlester would have to be flooded. It was impossible to get them to listen to me.”

James said he was notified of impending foreclosure in November.

“I could not get them to stop the phone calls or the letters,” he said.

He said he was able to finally pay for insurance and he said he was glad to have it behind him.

Another resident, William Kos, was notified Aug. 20 by his mortgage company that his property was now located in a flood zone.

Then, in June, Kos received a letter from Chase stating the flood insurance is not required because his property is not located in a Special Flood Hazard area.

“It’s the same property,” said Kos. “What changed?”

When area resident Mike Thomas was notified last year that his property was now in a flood zone, he took action.

“Mike Thomas was instrumental in having this area re-mapped,” Wilkins said.

Thomas said that he was never notified that FEMA was looking at making his area a flood zone. He called U.S. senators, Pittsburg County commissioners and Rick Fender the flood plain administrator for Pittsburg County.

Thomas said he continued to question Fender and FEMA and anyone else who would listen until the area was re-mapped.

“I never gave up. I knew it was wrong and when my neighbor was facing foreclosure because of it, I knew I had just keep at it,” Thomas said.

On April 18 of this year, FEMA issued a Letter Of Map Revision determination document to Smith stating the Flood Insurance Rate Map for the community had been revised. The letter also states FEMA will not distribute the LOMR to local insurance agents or to mortgage lenders.

Wilkins said residents who think that their property might be zoned incorrectly can contact him to file an amendment requesting that the property be moved out of the zone and residents can also apply for a FEMA preferred risk policy which provides two years of less expensive premiums.

Information from: McAlester News-Capital