Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
ERWIN TOWNSHIP — Erwin Township residents are now able to purchase federal flood insurance.
The township became eligible to participate in the “emergency phase” of the National Flood Insurance Program May 29, according to an announcement of the news.
The emergency phase is a community’s initial participation in the program when there are coverage limits in place.
Cassie Ringsdorf, a FEMA Region 5 spokesperson, said the emergency phase can mean no flood hazard information is available for a community, or the community has a flood hazard boundary map but no flood insurance rate map yet.
“Communities are converted to the regular program upon completion of a flood insurance study and the issuance of a (flood insurance rate map) or a determination that the community has no special flood areas,” Ringsdorf told the Daily Globe in an email Monday. “Under the regular program, more comprehensive floodplain management requirements are required of the community and higher amounts of flood insurance coverage are provided.”
Erwin Township Supervisor Larry Grimsby said township officials decided to participate in the program as a result of the flooding that has impacted other communities in the area.
“Over the last couple years we’ve seen the flooding issues that happened throughout the county and we decided it’s best to provide at least the opportunity for residents to obtain flood insurance if they so desire,” Grimsby said. “Otherwise they can’t get flood insurance.”
The enrollment process probably took five or six months to complete, according to Grimsby. He said the application process involved passing a township ordinance and other regulations designed to prevent flood damage and other prevention efforts, such as restricting building in areas susceptible to flooding.
“Flood insurance is now available to local property owners and may be purchased from any insurance agent or broker licensed to do business in the state where the insurable property is located,” Floodplain Management Division director Rachel Sears wrote in a June letter to Grimsby.
There is generally a 30-day waiting period before purchased policies take effect, although there are 10 exceptions to the waiting period.
Sears said some of the most common exceptions include policies purchased as the result of changes to an area’s flood hazard boundary map and policies purchased in connection to a loan.
Federal law requires owners of properties within a flood hazard area purchase flood insurance if they are receiving a federally backed mortgage, according to the announcement.
Although he hasn’t heard feedback from people who have purchased policies yet, Grimsby said there has been interest in the community.
“Earlier this spring I had people inquiring where we were in the process,” Grimsby said. “There was definitely some people that were interested in it.”
He said this included people who wouldn’t necessarily be assumed to be at risk, as increasingly flooding can impact people outside of traditional risk areas.
“You don’t foresee that happening, but those things do happen. And that was why I wanted to really get this done,” Grimsby said.
“At least now people have the opportunity, if they wish to, (to) obtain it,” he continued.