HUNTSVILLE —



Nine residents turned out to City Hall Tuesday night to view updated Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain maps.

The maps go into effect Aug. 16 and many Huntsville homes and structures are no longer in the floodplain. Regardless, Y.S. Ramachandra, city engineer, said it's important to look at the maps to determine if your home has been moved into, or out of, the floodplain.

Of the approximately 12,000 structures in the city today, 700 lots are in the floodplain, but the number of structures has fallen to about 200. That means less than two percent of Huntsville structures are in the floodplain.

City employees had access Tuesday night to maps for both the city and county and were able to look up addresses for citizens. Leslie Hoffpauir of Riverside said she was worried about her home, which is located near Harmon Creek.

“I was outside of the floodplain the last time and I want to make sure I'm still outside of it so I don't have to go get flood insurance,” she said. “I'd rather find out now than when something happens and then find out I should have had flood insurance.”

Lucky for Hoffpauir, city employees were able to look at the maps and show her that her home was still well outside the floodplain.

Shawn Snyder, field coordinator for the Texas Water Development Board, answered many resident questions regarding flood insurance and mapping coordinates for the floodplain area. She said newer FEMA technology allows for newer and better mapping resources.

“Sometimes the flood zone looks the same, but because they have done it with newer technology, it's delineated better,” she said. “It can seem to move. The reality is, it's now shown in a more coordinate position.”

Snyder said that everyone should check out the new maps because structures that were affected on prior maps may be out of the floodplain now, and vice versa.

Dale Browne, an area engineer, asked about lots or structures that are being bought or built upon now that are not in the floodplain. Brown asked if these structures are in the new floodplain maps, will they still need flood insurance.

“What if they close right before Aug. 16?” he said. “I would assume their lender is not going to require flood insurance. After the 16, it's going to be in the floodplain. What happens in those cases?”

Snyder said this is one of many scenarios that could happen when maps are redrawn. She said lenders will monitor these maps when they go live on Aug. 16.

“All these maps are changing across the United States,” she said. “They will reassess their portfolio of loans. If it's determined that a structure is now in a flood hazard area, the homeowner will now get a notice saying they are required to have flood insurance.”

To view the floodplain maps, visit www.huntsvillegis.com or visit FEMA online at www.msc.fema.gov.

After the 5:30 floodplain map viewing, the Huntsville Board of Adjustments and Appeals met to discuss updates to building and technical codes. The proposed changes will go before the Huntsville City Council in July.

The code upgrades include changing the international building code, the international residential code, the international mechanical code, international plumbing code, the international fuel gas code, the international property maintenance code and the international fire code from the 2003 to the 2009 editions and changing the 2005 edition of the national electrical code to the latest state of Texas edition.

Copies of the 2009 code editions are available for view at the City Service Center, 448 Highway 75 North. In addition, there are booklets showing the changes available at City Hall, 1212 Ave. M or at the City Service Center.

For more information, call city building official Mike Roempke at (936) 294-5772.