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October 30, 2009
Just 40 properties left to fix
GULFPORT—The homeowners who received letters this month from City Hall concerning their property’s standing under the federal Base Flood Elevation requirements are the last in a long list of non-compliant properties.
The list started with more than 500 properties that were deemed non-compliant by FEMA following a 2006 “community assessment visit."
The city mailed 52 letters to homeowners earlier this month, and already 12 have been corrected and removed from the list of non-compliant properties, bringing the current total down to just 40.
“I think this shows how committed the City of Gulfport is to solving this issue, one property at a time,” Mayor George Schloegel said Friday.
“Those people who have received letters are the last on the list. It’s important that every homeowner knows if you have not received a letter by now, then your property is likely in compliance with the federal flood regulations.”
Gulfport has a Class 8 ranking in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System.
Communities are rated from 1 to 10, the lower the number the better. A good rating could mean lower prices on flood insurance for homeowners.
However, FEMA has informed the city that failure to remedy the final 40 non-compliant properties would cause the city’s rating to change from 8 to 10, which would mean as much as a 10 percent increase in flood insurance for every property owner in Gulfport.
And that’s the best case scenario.
FEMA also could potentially drop the entire city from the flood insurance program, which would mean flood insurance would no longer be available at any price to any property owner in Gulfport.
“It is imperative that we remedy these final 40 properties as soon as possible,” Mayor Schloegel said. “We cannot afford a ratings increase, and certainly, being dropped from the program entirely is completely unacceptable.”
City leaders will begin meeting with the final 40 property owners next week to personally discuss their individual issues and to begin searching for ways to bring each property back into compliance with FEMA’s mandate.
“We want to help our property owners in any way we can,” Mayor Schloegel said. “We know this situation is unfortunate for those property owners, but they can rest assured that we are here to help them.”
Office of Public Information - rlafontaine@gulfport-ms.gov - Phone: 228-868-5782
P.O. Box 1780 Gulfport, MS 39502-1780 - FAX: 868-5800
