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02/28/2017 02:40 PMDue to newly revised maps and recent flood insurance program changes, some Branford and North Branford residents and businesses within or near the designated flood zones may find the revisions will impact their property, and possibly their flood insurance, when new FEMA maps kick in on May 16, 2017.
The areas which could be impacted are those updated along the Quinnipiac Watershed in 2016 and do not apply to coastal floodplain areas that were updated in 2013, noted Branford Town Engineer Janice Plaziak.
FEMA representatives will hold an open house meeting in Branford from 4 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14 at Branford Fire Headquarters so that residents from impacted towns can view the maps and ask questions. Attendees are also encouraged to bring their elevation certificates and/or flood insurance policies to help get the best information about how flood insurance rates may be changing for them.
FEMA's flood plain map revision process of the Quinnipiac Watershed area included work in 2016 to revise Flood Maps for watersheds within the Town of Branford and North Branford including the Farm River, Burrs Brook, Munger Brook, the Branford River, and miscellaneous tributaries.
The following annoucement from FEMA was shared with Zip06/The Sound by North Branford Town Engineer Kurt Weiss:
On May 16, 2017, revised flood insurance rate maps (FIRM) will become effective in twenty communities within the Quinnipiac River watershed - Ansonia, Branford, Bristol, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Guilford*, Hamden, Meriden, Milford, New Britain, New Haven*, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Prospect*, Plainville, Southington, Wallingford, and Woodbridge.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region I Boston office and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP) will be holding two public open houses where residents can view the revised flood maps. Federal and state officials will be available to answer questions on flood risk and flood insurance. No formal presentations will be made during these open house events. Residents may attend at any time during the session and no appointments are required. Residents are encouraged to bring their elevation certificates and/or flood insurance policies to the open house in order to get the best information about how their flood insurance rates may be changing as a result of the revised maps and recent flood insurance program changes.
These meetings will be held from 4 p.m to 7 p.m. at the following locations:
Monday, March 13, North Haven Town Hall, 18 Church St., Conference Room #1, Third Floor
Tuesday, March 14, Branford Fire Department, 45 North Main St.
* Please note that Guilford, New Haven, and Prospect will have no changes to their current flood maps. These three towns share a map panel with an adjacent community which will have map revisions within their corporate boundaries. However, FEMA will still issue a revised panel to these three communities.