The Newspaper of Record since 1878

County opens discussion with FEMA on flood map updates

Posted

In a Feb. 23 work session, the Gila County Board of Supervisors heard from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff on starting the process of updating flood maps, including City of Globe maps.

The agency has started helping the county eventually update those maps, giving residents more accurate flood hazard information; it has been around 40 years since the last floodplain study was done.

FEMA Region IX staff were on hand to explain the next step, the discovery process, to the supervisors. In the discovery process, agency staff meet and listen to the concerns of the county, cities and towns, and other interested stakeholders.

“The discovery process opens the door for us to bring our programs to the county,” said Region IX risk analyst Michael Bishop.

So far, according to FEMA’s presentation, the agency has invested $663,280 in Gila County. That includes the 2017 purchase of 2,121 square miles of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) for $551,460.

Gila County Floodplain Administrator Darde de Roulhac has identified 98 additional streams miles as high interest, and there are City of Globe floodplain studies that need to be corrected and updated.

“I’m very excited about this; it hasn’t been done in 40 years,” said Globe City Manager Paul Jepson. “I think now is the time to take the time to do it right.”

According to the presentation, the discovery process will provide the county with improved flood hazard or risk maps and multi-hazard risk assessment tools, as well as stronger relationships with FEMA and local agencies. Bishop said Gila County was at the top of the list for Region IX, which covers Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii.

“There are multiple paths to get floodplain studies accomplished and reflected on flood insurance rate maps,” he said.

Options include a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), a somewhat faster path, and a Physical Map Revision (PMR). A potential PMR schedule would include a discovery meeting in April 2021 and tentative development of potential project scope, tentatively scheduled for fall/winter 2021.