Photo by Nolan Madden Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX flood mitigation engineer Bob Bezek (right), District II Navajo County Supervisor Jesse Thompson (left) and local officials informed homeowners last Thursday of significant floodplain map changes for the Winslow levee reconstruction.
By Nolan Madden Federal Emergency Management Agency, Navajo County and City of Winslow officials met with the city’s homeowners last Thursday in two open-forum sessions to gather feedback and provide them news on new floodplain mapping in FEMA’s flood risk management feasibility study for the Winslow levee. Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick and U.S. Senator John McCain were also present to hear residents’ feedback. “One of the principal concerns we have is the insurance premiums that Winslow homeowners have to pay, as well as what impacts you will face if catastrophic flooding happens here again,” District II Navajo County Supervisor Jesse Thompson told those attending. The hosts spoke briefly about the responsibilities of participation in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, the meaning of the newly revised flood zone maps and some actions the community can take to assist residents in managing their risk from flooding. FEMA Region IX flood mitigation engineer Bob Bezek explained the changes, noting, “There are really two main categories that now affect homeowners and their flood insurance: About 900 properties are no longer located in the Special Flood Hazard Area, which required mandatory flood insurance coverage to obtain a mortgage. “For the rest of the properties, if you have a mortgage and you are required to maintain flood insurance, then you will need to keep that flood insurance.” Bezek noted that, for this group, the revised flood elevations might also mean an increase in flood insurance premiums. FEMA Region IX NFIP insurance specialist Edith Lohmann clarified, “One of the benefits that the city and the county have been working on is to determine those flood elevations, which may help some residents in terms of their flood insurance premiums.” Senior Project Manager Jeff Swan, PE, RLS, CFM, of Woodson Engineering and Surveying, Inc., noted, “Keep in mind that there are another 2,000 homes still located within a Special Flood Hazard Area, which, in most cases, means that they have base flood elevations which can be worked with on an individual-case basis.” Swan reiterated to the group that each property scenario should be treated separately so that insurance carriers can provide the most beneficial coverage options to each policyholder. According to officials, it was necessary for FEMA engineers to map the flood zones along Winslow’s stretch of the Little Colorado River as though no levee exists. Still, with the remap a critical step in the city’s flood safety improvements, the update is a bitter change for some residents, and a sweet one for others. “I haven’t looked at the new map yet, but I’ve already received my increase from the bank,” said Winslow homeowner Timothy Nettles at the first of the two meetings. “My property is grandfathered in, so I’m at about $750 per year, and I’ll be at another $475 as of Feb. 1. “I’m not trying to be negative, but when you look at Winslow, this is not a rich town. So here comes the government and the city saying, ‘Oops, we’ve kind of screwed this up. So now this is what it’s going to cost you to live here.’ “We already have the problem of people just walking away from their homes. Unfortunately, I see this totally increasing that,” Nettles said. He also observed that, to his knowledge, no area banking representatives were present to field such concerns at the meeting he attended. Nettles’ father, Pastor Alfred Nettles, related, “State Farm Insurance has said that, here in Winslow, people are already losing their homes over this. “You figure, you buy a home like we did. Our original payments were $850, but it went up to $1,000 because of flood insurance. This will be the third consecutive year that we’ve had a policy premium increase, because FEMA has continued to rezone us,” Pastor Nettles commented. A Winslow woman, who says the home she owns is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was pleased to learn that her home is no longer within a flood zone. “I was in Zone A, but now I’m in Zone X,” she said. “Jeff Swan told me that, after March 3, I should get a copy of the new flood map to my mortgage company, and that they will notify State Farm. My insurance agent tells me that they are really trying to get refunds for people.” She noted that she now plans to list her house for sale in order to relocate out of state to live closer to her children.
