FEMA here in Livingston County????

Back in September of 2008, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) completed their mapping of Livingston County floodplains. This is when Genoa Township enacted a Floodplain Ordinance.

Residents who wish to determine if their property is within a FEMA mapped floodplain can view the map below or view a list of properties from this link.

Homeowners who want to challenge their designation in a FEMA mapped floodplain can have an elevation survey completed. If they pass they will receive an Elevation Certificate and they can submit that to produce a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) that will remove a structure from the flood zone. This LOMA can eliminate the need for flood insurance. A typical elevation survey will cost the homeowner between $400 -700.00, and must be completed by a engineering firm. With flood insurance running 1200.00 plus a year it can be a worthwhile investment.

Many homeowners who do not have mortgages on their homes do not know they may need flood insurance and are surprised when the issue comes up during the sale of their home. Most homes that have mortgages have been contacted by their lender and charges for flood insurance have been added to their monthly payments.

As an example, for homes around Lake Chemung, the flood level is 961.1 feet above sea level. The property must sit above this number. Measuring is done by a certified engineering firm and they measure the top of the lowest floor in the crawl space or the slab. The legal lake elevation is 955 feet above sea level and the current level of Lake Chemung is 958 feet above sea level.

If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Diana Rencsak, 517-672-1104. She has helped many homeowners resolve this issue with their properties and will happy to assist anyone with questions regarding the FEMA flood zones in Livingston County.