OLYMPIA - Flood hazard maps for Ferry, Okanogan and Douglas counties will be revised within the next three to five years as part of a statewide project to help people decide where it is safe to build in and near flood-prone areas, according to the state Department of Ecology.
     The department is joining with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to update existing flood hazard maps in high-risk, flood-prone areas. Some of the new, digital maps are done, while others will be updated within the next few years, DOE officials reported.
     In many Washington communities, flood hazard maps haven't been updated for 20-30 years, the announcement continued. The new maps will depict flood hazards more accurately, including changes in flooding patterns, DOE reported.
     The mapping project is part of a nationwide effort by FEMA. DOE is helping FEMA put the new maps into a digital, electronic format that eventually will be available on the Internet.
     "The Dec. 3, 2007, storm in western Washington highlighted how flooding can cause serious economic damage to dwellings, buildings and other development in communities - and trigger immeasurable social, cultural and environmental hardships," the announcement continued.
     The new, digitized maps will represent better all the geographical features and hazards within a particular flood plain, according to DOE. Work will involve a series of engineering assessments, computer modeling, geographic information system-based mapping and public meetings.
     The new maps will help FEMA, insurance companies and lenders determine who needs flood insurance and how much it will cost, according to the announcement.
     Local jurisdictions with better land use controls for flood plains get lower premiums on flood insurance.
     FEMA regional administrator Susan Reinertson said flood plains often cover more than a single county, city, town and related urban growth boundaries.
     Completed digital flood hazard maps are available to jurisdictions in Island, Ferry, Kitsap and Whatcom counties.
     Preliminary digital maps are available to jurisdictions in Adams, Clark, Grant, King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
     New flood hazard maps for jurisdictions in Clallam, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Skagit, Spokane and Yakima counties are scheduled to be revised within the next two years, according to the DOE.
     For jurisdictions in Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Jefferson, Klickitat, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, San Juan, Skamania, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla and Whatcom counties, new flood hazard maps are to be revised in the next three to five years.
     "These maps are vital in helping local governments make decisions about where homes, businesses and utilities can be built safely - where they shouldn't be built due to past and potential flooding," said Dan Sokol, who coordinates the National Flood Insurance Program for the state. "The revised maps will help save lives, property and reduce economic harm. It's critical that our maps be as accurate as possible."
     Reinertson said the new digital maps will help FEMA and DOE:
     - Tackle the mapping needs of communities with growing populations and high-flood risks in coastal and levee areas.
     - Conduct a baseline flood risk assessment for all river drainage basins in the state.
     - Ensure that plans designed to offset the effects of flood plain development are properly evaluated and provide a sound basis for any improvements to be put in place.
     - Enable coordinated flood risk management activities between local, state and federal agencies.
     "The new digital maps are a vast improvement over the old paper maps," Sokol said. "They will be more comprehensive, show more on-the-ground information, and be more accessible to citizens and officials who need the information."