Pierce County residents are in a tizzy as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) presented them with new maps drawn using high technology tools.
Better modelling on top of the new topography maps revealed that 800 homes in the area are at high risk for flooding because they are sitting on top of an old creek channel, classifying them as a high risk flood plain zone.
The report from KomoNews.com said that these residents face higher insurance, especially those properties with federally backed mortgages, which require flood insurance.
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Meanwhile, the new FEMA map also reclassified previously high risk properties to low risk status, among them a row of homes along the Diru Creek and properties lining Lake Tapps.
These residents will have to call their brokers to negotiate for lower premiums, the report said.
If Pierce Country approves the new maps, as is expected, new insurance rates are expected to apply in March.
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