What's up with the flood study?

 


With regard to flood plain management, the Town of Farragut has adopted the Farragut Municipal Flood Damage Prevention Regulations that meet or exceed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) requirements.  We are required to adopt and follow these regulations to maintain the Town’s eligibility in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). 

Farragut Municipal Flood Damage Prevention Regulations

According the State of Tennessee’s TEMA website: “[t]o help communities understand their risk for flooding, FEMA develops flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps, (FIRMs)) to show the locations of high-risk, moderate-to-low risk and undetermined-risk areas. These maps and flood boundaries are developed through geographical and historical data, and using hydraulic and hydrologic analysis. These are the maps used by citizens, government, insurance agents and banks to determine the risk of flood and whether flood insurance is required.” For clarity, FEMA flood maps are created by FEMA staff and consultants based on the best available information.  The maps are models of flood plains.  

TEMA - National Flood Insurance Program

 A 2017 report from the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General's Office found that despite the NFIP’s goal of having 80% of its flood maps up-to-date, only 42% currently reflected accurate flood risk projections.

 Understanding FEMA Flood Maps and Limitations

 In May 2021, an application for a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) for the portion of Turkey Creek that runs through the Biddle property was submitted to the State of Tennessee’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) representative for review before eventually being forwarded to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  All the backup data for the CLOMR is reviewed by the NFIP representative and FEMA.  The data collected requires the Hydrologic Engineering Center’s – River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) software to process the data and someone who is skilled in using such software.

In this case, the developer is requesting the floodway be studied and the flood map be further refined based on the actual field data collected and his plan for development. After FEMA’s review and authorization, the development is constructed within the limitations laid out in the Farragut Municipal Flood Damage Prevention Regulations. After completion of the construction, the developer must re-model the flood plain based upon actual surveys of the new contours and features constructed.  This is to make sure the development is completed as planned, and to make sure the final version of the new flood map is both accurate and precise.  FEMA wants to make sure their new model is based on actual features, not just what was planned.  The new model is then submitted to FEMA as a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR).  Once accepted, the new flood map is official.


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