A recent local article about the Monday, November 9th, flood repair meeting inaccurately described a special exception to the City’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM maps). It implied this exception would apply city wide; it does not.
The meeting addressed a LOMR (Letter of Map Revision) that was approved August 2015 by FEMA but is not included in the new 2016 FIRM maps. This LOMR applies to the properties from the CSX Railroad to the Lake Katherine dam. Only the property owners impacted by this LOMR were invited to this meeting. These discussions do not apply to any other properties in the City Of Columbia.
A LOMR is a hydrologic and hydraulic study performed by a licensed engineer that FEMA recognizes as an update to the current FIRM maps. The LOMR is currently valid and the city will issue permits based on this FEMA approved lower elevation until the end of December while cautioning residents on the risks of building at a lower elevation.