County officials studying whether to join the National Flood Insurance Program

The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors is seeking public input on the question of whether the county should join the National Flood Insurance Program for the unincorporated areas of the county. 

The Emergency Program is the initial phase of a community's participation in the NFIP and was designed to provide a limited amount of insurance at less than actuarial rates.  A community participating in the Emergency Program either does not have an identified and mapped flood hazard or has been provided with a Flood Hazard Boundary Map, and the community is required to adopt limited floodplain management standards to control future use of its floodplains.

When a community chooses to join the NFIP, it must require permits for all development and ensure that construction materials and methods used will minimize future flood damage.  "Development" is briefly defined as any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to construction of new structures, modification or improvements to existing structures, fencing, excavation, filling, paving, drilling, driving of piles, mining, dredging, land clearing, grading, or permanent storage of materials and/or equipment.  The Emergency Program does not exempt permit requirements with regard to the proximity of a body of water.  Agricultural buildings, structures, and development are not exempt from these requirements, most cropping activities however are.

The current limits for flood insurance coverage for owners & tenants under the Emergency Program are:
Single Family Residential                               $35,000
2 to 4 Family Residential                                $35,000
Other Residential                                             $100,000
And Contents coverage of:
Residential                                                          $10,000
Non-Residential                                                               $100,000
The current annual rates are $.76 per $100 value of insurance*  For example $35,000 policy would be $266*  (*plus policy costs) .  

Written comments will be collected until August 1st.  They should be sent to: Floodplain Administrator, 201 West Main St. Decorah, IA. 52101 or by email at zoning@co.winneshiek.ia.us.

Some time after August 1st a public hearing will be scheduled before the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors to gather verbal comments on the proposed action.
 
More information on the NFIP can be obtained at www.floodsmart.gov or www.fema.gov