Changing flood maps could impact residents

In 2015, massive rainfall in the span of a few hours caused extensive damage to Newfield roads, homes and businesses.

The flooding was widespread throughout the county and as a result, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is changing the county’s flood maps. Some Newfield residents will be affected.

The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 enforces that homeowners must purchase flood insurance if their home is on a floodplain.

Newfield Supervisor Mike Allinger estimated that 80 homes in the town will be impacted. FEMA is hosting an open house this spring to hear concerns. The date has not yet been announced, but Allinger said he thinks it will be in April.

He also said that he does not think many of the residents who are now on the floodplain know that in the next year they will have to purchase flood insurance.

“I think it’s going to catch a lot of people by surprise. Are people upset with it? Not yet, because I don’t think they know about it,” he said. “I want people to have a chance to absorb it, engage themselves and be ready when FEMA announces when their open houses are going to be so they can get down there and voice their concerns.”

The homes around the west branch of the Cayuga Lake inlet and Fishkill Creek will be most affected by the changing floodplain. Specific floodplain maps can be found online at www.newfieldny.org. Allinger said that any resident who doesn’t have internet access can view the maps by visiting Newfield Town Hall, located at 166 Main St.

Allinger’s interest in the changing floodplain started more than a year ago when a resident on Horton Road approached him. That resident had lived in their home since the 1970s and had just found out that for the first time, they would have to purchase flood insurance.

“I’ve been following this closely for about a year. I believe this is a nationwide [initiative] by FEMA to look at existing flood maps and see where [changes need to be made], based on the effects of climate change,” he said.

The FEMA initiative comes to Newfield after a flood that no one in town can forget. In 2015, roads were damaged and closed, and more than 20 people had to be rescued by firefighters.

Allinger said he hopes that FEMA does not stop with one open house in Ithaca. With floodplains changing across the county, he wants all towns to have their voices heard.

“In my opinion, they’re going to need more than one open house. Ithaca has about 265 areas of concern. That’s a lot of residents to have to deal with in one four- or eight-hour period,” he said. “With Newfield having 80 and other surrounding towns having their fair share, it’s going to be more than they can handle in one open house.”

Allinger, who has been working with the local FEMA office, said that members of the county legislature have been doing the same. He is hoping that instead of one large event in Ithaca, there can be smaller, breakout open houses in some of the rural communities.

“I hope they’ll make them more local. They [FEMA] were looking for a large enough venue to accommodate everybody,” he said. “I think a smarter approach would be to look for one large location to accommodate the Ithaca population and then hold smaller open houses with tighter hours for some of the surrounding areas.”

Allinger said that after the open house, there will be a 90-day appeal period, which will likely extend through the summer. The next step will be FEMA publishing a Letter of Final Determination, which will outline the new flood maps. Allinger said once that is published, there will be a six-month period for residents to purchase insurance.

He also warned that homeowners who have a mortgage through a federally insured bank might not be able to shop for their insurance.

“What’s really important for people to understand is that buying flood insurance isn’t going to be an option for [some of] them,” he said. “If they own their home outright, it could be, but if they have any kind of lien on their house then the bank could step in and purchase flood insurance for them. Obviously, they’d get a better deal if they were allowed to shop around.”

On the town side, during the six-month window after the Letter of Final Determination, each town must adopt a floodplain protection ordinance that will be reviewed by FEMA and New York Department of Environmental Control.

Allinger said that residents with questions can also reach out to him, by emailing him at supervisor@newfieldny.org. 

Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or geoffpreston8@gmail.com.

In brief: 

Second Wind Cottages kept in consideration for Community Recovery Fund

During the March 21 County Legislature meeting, Second Wind Cottages Executive Director David Shapiro announced that due to challenges in the organization, Second Wind would be pulling its application to receive Community Recovery Fund money. The organization has hoped to build more housing units for men experiencing homelessness in Newfield and a new facility to house women in Dryden.

County Legislator Anne Koreman of Ulysses refused to remove her resolution supporting the application, saying she believed that Second Wind was pulling its application due to doubts of its passing. She brought the resolution to a vote, and it passed 8-6.

Newfield legislator Randy Brown proposed an opposing resolution that called for the removal of the application, citing Newfield’s moratorium on campsites. That resolution failed 9-5.

Koreman’s proposed resolution moves to accept a revised application, in which Second Wind would use the money to build 12 cottages.