BOONE, Iowa—On May 1st the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will host an Open House to present preliminary floodplain maps to Boone County citizens.  The meeting will be held at the Boone City Hall Auditorium (923 8th St) Wednesday, May 1st from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  This meeting is open to the public.

The open house will provide property owners an opportunity to view the preliminary maps and learn how their flood risk may have changed.  Representatives from FEMA and the Iowa DNR will be on hand to answer questions and address residents’ concerns about the preliminary flood maps.

Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States.  It is vital that property owners understand their risk and take advantage of tools or programs available to them, including flood insurance.  These preliminary maps are an update of the existing maps, which date back to 2011. The maps will become the basis for local community’s floodplain management measures.  Insurance companies will use the maps to determine flood insurance rates for buildings and contents.

As a result of these map changes, some buildings throughout Boone County may, for the first time, be included in a high-risk flood zone, known as the Special Flood Hazard Area. This may result in those affected property owners being required to purchase flood insurance.

You may access the revised preliminary flood hazard data at the following website: http://www.fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata

Residents with additional questions can contact the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources at 515-725-8333 or Jason.Conn@dnr.iowa.gov.

(contributed press release)