Columbia, SC ‐ Residents and businesses in the City of Columbia, especially those located in Richland County, are encouraged to attend an Open House on flood hazard risk and anticipated updates to the Richland County Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) on June 24th from 4‐7PM at the Richland County Administration Building at 2020 Hampton Street. City floodplain staff will be on‐hand to answer questions about the City’s floodplain policies and assist City property owners in understanding the flood insurance process.
Flood Hazard Open House attendees can learn whether their property is currently in a floodplain, whether they are affected by the proposed FIRM update, about the National Flood Insurance Program, and any other questions about flood insurance and floodplain issues.
FIRMs, or flood hazard maps, identify properties located in flood‐prone areas that may be at risk for flood damage during heavy storms. These maps also determine rates property owners pay for flood insurance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. All property owners are encouraged to consider flood insurance no matter their risk as standard homeowner policies generally do not cover flood damage. Homeowners with federally‐backed mortgages may be required to carry flood insurance if they are located in a flood‐hazard area.
City of Columbia residents can find out more about the City’s floodplain policy at
www.columbiasc.net/floodplain. Details on the National Flood Insurance Program can be found at www.floodsmart.gov. For questions about what these updates mean within the City of Columbia or generally about the City’s floodplain program, please contact the City’s Floodplain Coordinator, Ali Khan, at 545‐3400 or [email protected].