Marseilles property owners may want to check with their insurance agents on the new availability of federal flood insurance.The Marseilles City Council Wednesday unanimously passed a comprehensive flood damage prevention ordinance. The primary goal of the ordinance is to regulate stormwater drainage within the city in ways that will reduce flood problems and thereby protect buildings and reduce the need to spend tax dollars for flood cleanup.
The flood protection regulations will be enforced by the city’s zoning enforcement officer — and if necessary by court action and fines.
With the the ordinance in effect, property owners now are qualified to participate in the Federal Emergency and Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, according to City Engineer Mike Etscheid. The program, which has been around since 1968, is optional for communities. But for those willing to adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks, flood insurance is made available to property owners.
Marseilles is not in a designated flood plain, Etschied notes. But, as scores of residents found our firsthand in August, that does not mean their property will not flood.
In fact, FEMA points out on its floodsmart.gov Web site, “floods are often caused by storms, melting snow, hurricanes and water backup due to inadequate or overloaded drainage systems, dam or levee failure. And most homeowners insurance doesn’t cover costly flood damage.”
At the Federal Emergency and Management Agency’s www.floodsmart.gov Web site, property owners can enter their property address and learn: