February 09, 2018

Public Drop In Meeting on Changes to FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps

On Friday, February 16th, the Town of Kiawah and Seabrook Islands will host a public drop-in meeting for residents to learn more about pending changes to FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) for Charleston County. The drop-in meeting will take place from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Seabrook Island Town Hall, 2001 Seabrook Island Road, and will be open to residents and property owners from Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, and surrounding areas.

During the meeting, representatives from the Charleston County Building Inspection Services Department will be on hand to provide information about the flood new maps, answer questions about the map’s impacts on property owners, and provide tips for residents to mitigate their flood risk. Residents will also have an opportunity to view their Base Flood Elevations (BFE) under both the current and preliminary flood maps.

The BFE is the computed elevation to which flood waters are anticipated to rise during the base (1% annual chance) flood event. The BFE is the regulatory requirement for the elevation and flood proofing of structures. The relationship between the BFE and a structure’s elevation determines a property owner’s flood insurance premium.

View Preliminary Flood Maps for Charleston County

Charleston County has created an interactive tool which allows residents and property owners to view the current and preliminary BFE’s for properties located within the county.

• To access the county’s interactive mapping tool, please click here.
• For detailed instructions on how to use the county’s interactive mapping tool, please click here.

Appeals

A 90-day appeal period for the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps was initiated by FEMA on January 18, 2018, and will end on April 18, 2018. Interested parties who wish to appeal the proposed changes must file a written appeal. FEMA has specified that the sole basis for appeal is scientific documentation that the preliminary flood hazard determinations are scientifically or technically incorrect due to a mathematical or measurement error or changed physical condition(s). All appeals will be reviewed and resolved by a Scientific Resolution Panel. All submittals are considered to be “comments” unless accompanied by the required scientific documentation. Comments on other aspects of the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps, such as road name and corporate limit changes, will also be accepted.

• For more information, please see Criteria for Appeals of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FEMA)

Any resident who wishes to submit an appeal is encouraged to contact the Charleston County Flood Map Hotline at (843) 202-6957, and county personnel will work with you to submit your appeal. The county has asked that all appeals be submitted no later than April 11, 2018, to provide the county with enough time to prepare the final documentation.

Written appeals may be delivered to the following:

• By Mail: Charleston County, 4045 Bridgeview Drive, Room A311, North Charleston, SC 29405
• By Email: buildingservices@charlestoncounty.org

Charleston County Flood Hotline

Charleston County has established a Flood Hotline at (843) 202-6957. Residents – especially those who are unable to attend the public drop-in meeting – are encouraged to contact the Flood Hotline for more information about how the new flood maps will impact their property.