Ithaca officials are preparing to adopt updated federal flood maps that could affect hundreds of property owners, according to the Ithaca Journal. The Common Council will vote April 16 on adopting FEMA’s revised Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which add around 650 residential properties to flood-risk zones.
If the maps aren’t adopted by May 19, the city could lose participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, making flood insurance harder to obtain. Residents in newly affected areas have been notified, and city officials urge renters to consider contents-only policies for protection.
The changes follow years of analysis using U.S. Geological Survey data and engineering assessments. Officials are still working to fine-tune FEMA’s models through a formal revision process.
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