Major Flood Zone Changes in Store For Swampscott

Below are some important particulars from Swampscott's Marth Dansdill on impending changes to flood zone maps in town.

Martha attended the forum in Lynn yesterday and left the comment below on one of our Patch posts about the session.

"Hey folks, I just attended this forum and the issue is quite complicated. The Biggert Waters Flood Reform Act of 2012 requires that rates reflect the true flood risk and most, not all premiums, are expected to increase over time. The National Flood Insurance is $25B in the red after the devastating effects of Katrina and Sandy and this is designed to help ease this deficit. You may find you are in a newly designated flood zone and now be required to carry flood insurance, if you don't already. These are some of the areas/streets on the recently revised flood maps: Charlotte, Murial, Lodge, lower Bates, parts of Hemingway, some Humphrey, lower Glen and Pleasant, Commonwealth, Sculpin, Sutton, Robin, Smith, Willow, Nirvana, Curry, New Ocean, Shepard, some houses on Phillips Beach Ave, Palmer, homes nearest Phillips and Preston Beach, Blodgett, Puritan, Woodbine, Lincoln House. If your house is in a flood zone and you want to appeal, the deadline is Nov. 2013 (soon!). There are strategies to hold your ins(urance) costs down and communities should have an ordinance that allows them to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, if they don't already. FEMA states they are available to answer questions. Or contact the Selectmen or your insurance agent."

Below is a link to the preliminary flood maps on FEMA’s website. 
There are two drop down menus, choose “State” and “County," and it will bring you to the whole list of maps that are being updated in Essex County, as well as the Flood Insurance Study report and the digital products.