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06/06/2017 12:00 AMThe Town of East Haven has adopted new flood mapping panels from FEMA, and as a result, many homes near the Farm River can benefit.
According to a press release, projects along the river have improved flood zone conditions that will see about 200 homes removed from the flood zone completely. The town expects that residents will save large sums of money in flood insurance, and in addition will have a positive effect on the real estate market.
Two people who worked closely on the new flood mapping were Kevin White and Jerry Tramontano of Public Services.
White said the town has been working to improve the area for about 20 years, and one of the major factors to getting the flood map changed was upgrading four bridges in the area. Now that the bridges have been upgraded, water won’t be held up and can pass through faster.
Tramontano said that the bridges were previously too narrow, and the area would become a choke point that would cause the river to flood.
Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr., said that the town had received flood permits from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) to clear brush and other debris from the river, which was also another cause of flooding.
The new mapping went into effect on May 16, and Tramontano said that the biggest changes can be seen east of the river.
Tramontano said the new flood maps may revitalize the housing industry in the area, in addition to money savings.
Kevin Buchanan, who has a home in the Farm River area, said he previously paid around $2,700 per year in flood insurance, and now that his home is no longer in a high risk flood zone, that cost is now down to about $500 per year.
“It’s a totally amazing thing,” Buchanan said, “I’m blown away by this.”
Buchanan said that prior to the new flood maps taking effect, he received a letter from FEMA saying that if he produced an elevation certificate, he may be able to save money. If he did not produce the certificate, the letter said his rates would go up by at least 10 percent.
He would also have to spend a significant sum of money to have a surveyor come out to get the elevation certificate done. Now, that’s something he doesn’t have to worry about.
In addition to saving on his flood insurance, Buchanan said that his mortgage company doesn’t need to put as much money in escrow now either, so he now has about $3,600 of total savings in his pocket.
However, there were some negative effects to the changes. Tramontano said that while no homes were added in the flood map, the flood zone was expanded on certain houses in the area.
Tramontano said he is working to address residents in the area to let them know about the changes. White and Tramontano said that anyone unsure of their location on the new flood map should call Public Services to see where they stand.