FEMA Initiates 90-Day Appeal of the Revised Flood Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study for Woodbury County and Incorporated Areas

SIOUX CITY - The Woodbury County Flood Insurance Rate Map update is nearing completion. The new maps will provide Woodbury County with more accurate flood risk information that can help local officials and residents make informed decisions about reducing flood risks and purchasing flood insurance.

The mapping project is part of a nationwide effort led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to increase local knowledge of flood risks and support actions to address and reduce those risks.

Before new flood insurance rate maps become effective, there is a 90-day Appeal Period during which local governments, county residents, and business owners can provide additional technical or scientific data for consideration before the maps are final. This appeal period begins April 26, 2023 and ends July 24, 2023.

FEMA has published a notice of the proposed flood hazard determinations in the Federal Register and they will publish notification concerning the appeal process in the Sioux City Journal on or about April 19, 2023 and April 26, 2023. FEMA will also publish a separate notice of the flood hazard determinations on the “Flood Hazard Determinations on the Web” portion of the FEMA Website: https://www.floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/BFE_Status/bfe_main.asp. 

Woodbury County officials encourage residents and business owners to review the proposed flood insurance rate maps to learn about local flood risks, potential future flood insurance requirements, and any concerns or questions about the information provided.

If you have questions regarding the proposed flood hazard determinations, revised FIRM panels, or revised FIS report for your community, please call the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX), toll-free, at: 1-877-336-2627, or email the FMIX staff at: FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.

If you have technical and scientific information, such as detailed hydraulic or hydrologic data, you may be able to appeal the flood risk information on the preliminary flood map during the 90-day Appeal Period. For further details on this process, visit: www.fema.gov, or contact: Bryan D. Murdie, Risk Analysis Branch Chief, FEMA Region 7, (202) 257-7627, or email: Bryan.Murdie@fema.dhs.gov.