Hundreds of thousands of Florida homes lie in flood-risk areas not recognized by FEMA's flood maps, research group says
Hundreds of thousands of Florida homes lie in flood-risk areas that are not designated as such by the federal government, leaving many homeowners vulnerable to
Hundreds of thousands of Florida homes lie in flood-risk areas that are not designated as such by the federal government, leaving many homeowners vulnerable to massive out-of-pocket costs for damage after Hurricane Ian.
Nearly 350,000 properties in the state face flood hazards but are not recognized as high risks in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps, according to data by First Street Foundation, a nonprofit research group.
More than half, about 186,000, are in hard-hit areas along Florida’s west coast, where residents were given mandatory evacuation orders.
"Many very likely will not have flood insurance because they would not have been told they’re at risk for flooding,” said Matthew Eby, First Street Foundation's CEO. “With a storm of this magnitude, the impacts of that are going to be catastrophic to those homeowners.”
Ian is one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States. After making landfall Wednesday, the Category 4 hurricane decimated many areas, although the full scope of its destruction is still unknown.
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