Franklin County preparing for changes to the National Flood Insurance Program

Franklin county is preparing for changes set to take effect this year in the National Flood Insurance Program.

The county has to participate in the program in order to be eligible for federal flood insurance.

The federal flood insurance program is undergoing two major changes this year.

One is that the federal program is redrawing its flood maps and in many cases raising the base flood elevations.

The program is also changing its rates.

The rate changes are being dictated by the federal government.

The Franklin county Planning and Building Department held a public workshop earlier this month to inform builders, contractors, and citizens of the proposed changes and of the possible impacts the changes could have to our area.

In order for the county to stay in the program it will have adopt some new rules, one of which would allow homes to be built up to three feet above base flood requirements.

Currently Franklin County has an ordinance that prohibits homes from starting their first floors above the base flood requirement, but the county will likely have to rescind that rule so that people building new homes can save significant money on flood insurance.

The county will hold a public hearing to consider adopting the new floodplain management ordinance on June 18th.

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