Updated flood maps provide clarity for Peoria County residents
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — For the first time since 1983, flood maps in Peoria County are being updated, and residents got a chance to look at them and speak with FEMA representatives about flood insurance .
The open house was held at the Peoria Public Library's main branch downtown, with those who live near the floodplain of the Illinois River and its creeks and tributaries the most impacted by the topic at hand.
Andrew Braun is the Floodplain Administrator for Peoria County, and said the current maps are on in black and white. The new maps are in color and residents can more easily pinpoint their homes, seeing how affected they could be by flooding.
"This is really going to push us forward with the technology that we have available to us. And it's going to make it easier for everybody to understand the flood risk associated with their property," he said.
Flood insurance is separate from homeowner's insurance, and insurance costs depend on a variety of factors, such as proximity to bodies of water and the home's structural quality. Braun said homeowners with federally backed mortgages who live in floodplains are required to carry flood insurance, but any property owner can get it.
The open house was designed to inform the public, according to Braun.
"If you're looking to purchase a property, we want to make sure that you have an avenue to find that information, that realtors have an avenue to find that information outside of the regular disclosures," he said.
Kyle Ross is from Omaha, Nebraska and looking to move to the Peoria area. She attended the open house to learn more information about floodplains, even though she doesn't necessarily want to live near one.
"Flood insurance is very expensive, so I'm trying to avoid getting a property that requires it or is even close to it. But it's recommended to get it anywhere it rains," she said.
Braun said the new maps will be adopted by late 2025 at the earliest, but Thursday's open house was a "good first step" in releasing them to the public. He added that impacted property owners will receive mailing information in the near future.
