(FAIRHOPE, Ala.) - Folks in Mobile and Baldwin counties could see some changes to their flood insurance as a result of some reworked flood maps, but not for another three years.
Engineers are in the process of completing a study to rework Alabama's flood zones. The maps insurance companies and developers have been working with are about 30 years old.
The forecast is for a 20 percent increase with a big hit for those who have secondary property.
"Second homes, secondary dwellings and dwelling that's been in a repetitive loss situation or might have been in a loss situation is not going to get favorable premiums from it," said Norris Cole, an independent insurance agent in Gulf Shores.
State officials were in Fairhope Wednesday to begin the process of getting the word out that the maps will be changing and how insurance rates as well as future development along the coast will be affected.
"Our goal in this project is to represent the true risk of flooding for these folks. We know change is coming. It may be up in some areas, down in others, but we want them to build according to what actually is going to happen not to what the old FEMA maps say. So if we can tell a community that, lets say, we have an elevation of 6 ft in one area and if they have somebody coming in for a building permit the community can make an informed decision you know build it 7 feet, don't build it 4 feet," said Jason Wilson, an engineer hired by the state to analyze and map the new flood zones.
For a look at the projected flood map changes
CLICK HERE.
