Preliminary flood maps available for review

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is updating the Flood Insurance Rate Maps for much of the Seneca Watershed, which includes areas near Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, the Seneca River arm of Lake Hartwell, and their tributaries.  When complete, the maps will be used for permitting and insurance purposes to determine whether properties are impacted by flood hazard zones (often simply referred to as ‘floodplains’).  A final version of the maps is currently scheduled to become effective by the end of 2016.  Anyone wishing to review a preliminary copy of the maps and/or obtain information about flood risks and potential insurance requirements impacting their property or business is invited to attend a public outreach open house meeting scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday,  March 30, 2016, at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Complex, 3027 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Anderson, SC.  The meeting format will be informal, and attendees may drop by at any time. Representatives from FEMA, the SC Department of Natural Resources, and local governments will be available to assist individuals and answer questions.  A link to a location map showing the areas in Oconee County being updated by FEMA can be found on the County GIS Department’s webpage.  For more information, contact the Planning Division of the Community Development Department at 864-638-4218.