James City County has released the 2015 Annual Report on the Floodplain Management Plan. The Annual Report highlights the progress made by the County towards the identification, reduction and mitigation of flood losses. The Floodplain Management Plan and the Annual Report are required by National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System.
The Floodplain Management Plan is included in the region’s Peninsula Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan which assesses the region’s risk from potential natural hazards such as hurricanes, tornados and flooding. The Plan identifies potential mitigation efforts that localities can implement to minimize losses associated with these hazards.
Accomplishments highlighted in the Annual Report include:
• The County’s floodplain ordinance is being revised to bring it into compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program’s requirements. The revisions include adoption of the new Flooding Insurance Rate Maps developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that incorporate updated coastal flooding information. The Board of Supervisors will need to act on the revised ordinance, which has the Planning Commission’s positive recommendation, before Dec. 16, 2015, the effective date for the new maps.
• The County allocated $50,000 to develop a program to educate and assist property owners in techniques for dry and wet flood-proofing. The funds will be used to establish a revolving loan fund to help property owners protect their property from flood damage. The program should be operational by June 2016.
• Watershed management plans have been completed for the Powhatan, Yarmouth, Mill and Gordon Creek watersheds. Additional studies are in progress for the Ware Creek and York River watersheds.
The complete Annual Report can be found online at jamescitycountyva.gov/floodplainreport.
For more information, call 757-259-1442 or email darryl.cook@jamescitycountyva.gov.
Media Contact: Renee Dallman, Senior Communications Specialist
757-253-6864; renee.dallman@jamescitycountyva.gov