Wake Residents Get Look At New Floodplain Maps

RALEIGH, N.C. — Hurricane Floyd re-wrote the book on the flooding back in 1999. The storm forced the state to redraw floodplain maps even into the Triangle. Now, some homeowners in Wake County are getting a new look at the maps.

The new maps will give homeowners a heads-up on whether their homes are in a flood-prone area.

"About 7 percent of the county is in what we call the 100-year floodplain or the 1 percent annual chance floodplain, That's a marginal increase from the old maps." said Ed Curtis, of the State Mapping Program.

For homes in the 100-year floodplain, flood insurance will be a requirement when the new maps go into effect next April.

"At that point, if you have a house that used to be out of the floodplain, you will be notified by your mortgage company and told you have to obtain flood insurance as a condition of your mortgage," said Mike Coughlin, of Wake County Environmental Services.

The premiums can range in price from $200 a year to as much as $800 a year. Officials say the higher your first floor is above the floodplain, the lower your insurance premium should be.