Fargo receives updated flood map

FARGO — City leaders finally have their hands on the updated Federal Emergency Management Agency map that reflects the modern 100-year flood plain.

The map, sent last week from FEMA, arrived Monday, Fargo Senior Engineer April Walker said.

Walker said city officials and staff will first look over the map for any glaring discrepancies or issues worthy of protest, before publishing it for public view.

City engineers previously estimated the map would bring an additional 7,500 homeowners into the newly defined 100-year flood plain of 39.5 feet.

Affected homeowners would be required to purchase high-risk flood insurance if they have federally backed mortgages.

FEMA began revising Fargo’s flood plain more than a decade ago and has delayed the map’s release for more than two years.

The documents won’t be official for another 12 to 18 months, but homeowners are urged to educate themselves about how the changes will affect their properties in the interim.

The city of Fargo launched a website, www.fargofloodinsurance.

com, to help homeowners understand the changes.

Tags: news, fargo, flood, maps, fema