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Home and Garden

Your flood risk may rise or ebb

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published January 19, 2007

It's been more than a decade since Hillsborough County updated its maps that show where flooding could occur, and many things have changed.

Development has altered the water flow in some areas. El Nino storms of 1997-98 caused major floods in places rated as having low to moderate risk.

So now the county is revising its maps to better show the current likelihood of flooding, and the results could affect you.

While thousands of homes would end up with reduced risk, thousands more could have their rating rise, pressuring owners to buy flood insurance to protect their investments.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not include coverage for flood damage. Yet federal statistics show that over a 30-year mortgage, you're three times more likely to have a flood than a fire in your home.

If you're going to be affected, you should have received a letter from the county in December. You also can check your property on the county's Web site, www.hillsboroughcounty. org/pgm/hazardmit/floodMap/mapviewer.cfm or look at a copy of the map at your closest regional library. If you have a problem with proposed changes, you have a venue to speak out.

The county will conduct several public hearings, where officials will explain the maps and tell how to file an appeal or protest. The public comment period ends Feb. 28.

You can't just have a vague feeling that you don't fall into a floodplain. To wage a valid appeal or protest, you must submit detailed proof, such as topographic maps, along with a protest or appeal form, to Planning and Growth Management, Attention: Flood Map Review, P.O. Box 1110, Tampa, FL 33601.

The public hearings, each of which begins at 6:30 p.m., will be held at the following north Hillsborough locations:

-Jan. 23, Jackson Springs Recreation Center, 8620 Jackson Springs Road, Town 'N Country.

-Jan. 24, Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive, Northdale.

-Feb. 5, New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd., New Tampa.

The county also will host two open houses on the subject, where you can get personalized help in looking up your property and following the appeal process. Those will be at:

-Jimmie B. Keel Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., 2-6 p.m. Jan. 26 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 27.

-New Tampa Regional Library, 12-5 p.m. Feb. 3 and 2-8 p.m. Feb. 7.

[Last modified January 18, 2007, 08:11:06]