WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has finalized flood maps for Washington County, which will become effective on January 25, 2024.
In order to prepare for this, a FEMA compliance specialist will be working with the community to update floodplain ordinance and adopt the new flood maps.
Because Washington County participates in the Flood Insurance Program, which is a federal program, FEMA must update the county's flood maps periodically. This also means that the county has to abide by standards when it comes to building new structures in what is federally accepted as flood hazard areas.
If there is a new home, for example, that is built in a flood hazard area, the construction of the home has to be built with materials resistant to flood damage and in compliance with the program.
That being said, with this new flood map going into effect in January, there could be residents or businesses in a flood hazard zone who weren't before.
FEMA is encouraging residents of Washington County to take a look at the maps to determine what kind of zone they are in. Maps can be viewed on FEMA’s Flood Map Changes Viewer.
If anyone in the community will be located in a high-risk flood zone and they weren't before, there may be a need to get flood insurance. FEMA says flood insurance is necessary for avoiding uninsured losses to your home, personal property and business.
This is available through a private policy or through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
To view the full documentation on Washington County's participating in the Flood Insurance Program, click here.
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