Harpswell voters will decide at a special Town Meeting in May whether to adopt updated flood maps to keep the town enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program.

The new maps were introduced in January, and the town has until June 20 to adopt them in order to remain in the program and preserve Harpswell’s eligibility for federal disaster relief following major flooding events.

Harpswell participated in a regional effort to create more accurate maps in some areas where the new federal maps were deemed inadequate. Voters will be asked to approve an updated floodplain ordinance that incorporates those modified maps, created by engineering firm Ransom Consulting LLC, as well as the latest ones from the federal government.

In accordance with federal law, officials said the town would first implement the updated federal maps and then the revised versions.

“Participation in the (National Flood Insurance Program) provides protection to those members of your community who may be affected by flooding,” said Sue Baker, Maine’s state coordinator of the program, in a Jan. 8 letter to Select Board Chair Kevin Johnson.

Baker said adopting the new maps also will ensure federal flood insurance continues to be available to Harpswell property owners who have federally backed mortgages in the floodplain.

“Another important benefit is your community’s eligibility for disaster funding and low-interest loans when your county is in a declared disaster area,” she wrote.

Flood maps’ purpose

Flood insurance rate maps are a key component of the National Flood Insurance Program, established by Congress through the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968. Its creators recognized the devastating financial impact floods can have on people and communities, as well as the inadequacy of federal disaster relief and private insurance to mitigate those impacts.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the program, the maps are used to determine the likelihood of flood events in different areas, dividing land into zones based on the level of flood risk. Risk assessments are based strictly on historical data and aren’t forward-looking in any way.

High-risk zones are labeled “A” or “V,” with “A” zones usually areas subject to flooding by a 100-year flood event, while “V” zones are coastal areas that face additional risks from storm-induced waves. Moderate- to low-risk zones are labeled “X.”

The FEMA maps provide the basis for setting flood insurance premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program. Properties located in higher-risk areas typically have higher insurance premiums, reflecting the greater risk of flooding.

According to Portland-based Nadeau Land Surveys, mortgage lenders rely heavily on the maps to evaluate the flood risk to a property when deciding whether to approve a loan for its purchase. Properties purchased with a federally backed mortgage must have flood insurance if the property is in a high-risk zone.

The maps also help communities make informed decisions about where and how to develop land, according to FEMA. They are used in local planning and zoning processes to guide development away from high-risk areas and to ensure buildings in riskier zones are designed to minimize flood damage.

Participation in the Flood Insurance Program is contingent on communities adopting and enforcing floodplain management ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA guidelines, the agency said. The flood maps are essential for enforcing those regulations, as they identify areas where the rules apply.

By making flood risk information accessible to the public, the maps also help property owners, buyers and planners understand the flood risks to which specific properties are exposed. That awareness can influence decisions on purchasing property, obtaining insurance and taking measures to reduce flood risk, according to FEMA.

Over the years, the maps have evolved with advances in technology, data collection and experts’ understanding of flood hazards, the agency’s website says. The maps are now digital and can be accessed online through the FEMA Map Service Center, which offers detailed, interactive flood hazard information.

Officials urge review

Harpswell officials are urging property owners to review the updated map for their property and contact the Code Enforcement Office if they have questions or concerns. The office has been holding special hours in early March for residents to review the maps in person and ask questions.

The process to update FEMA’s flood maps takes years, said Harpswell Town Planner Mark Eyerman. The town’s last major map update was in 2009. The only way to know how a map update has affected a particular property is to review the latest map, he said.

Eyerman said even the modified flood maps provide only a rough picture of an area’s flood risk.

“Most importantly, the boundary of land and water on these maps is not accurate,” Eyerman said. “The layout of the roads is not accurate, and so any judgment based on these maps is a total guesstimate … and the only real usable piece of information is what’s called the base flood elevation, which defines the limit of the flood hazard area.”

The term refers to the computed elevation to which floodwater is anticipated to rise during the “base flood,” which is a flood event having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year, also commonly referred to as the “100-year flood.”

Changes to a property’s base flood elevation can affect permitting for construction or renovations, as well as flood insurance costs. Any property owner questioning or disagreeing with the map’s information would need to hire a surveyor to determine where that elevation falls on their property, Eyerman said.

The town planner noted that Harpswell already has zoning ordinances to prevent construction in high-risk areas, such as its Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, which requires building setbacks of at least 75 feet from the normal high-water line of a body of water.

Correction: This story was updated at 12 p.m. March 13, 2024, to reflect that voters will be asked to approve an ordinance adopting both the new federal flood maps and the modified versions.

Have a comment or news tip? Email J. Craig Anderson at craig@harpswellanchor.org.