FEMA's Sarasota Flood Maps Creating Confusion

Sarasota residents who can’t make heads or tails of the recently released Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps still have time to ask questions.

A series of workshops addressing the maps remains on the county’s schedule through April.

FEMA’s new maps involve flood zone designation changes for more than 40,000 parcels of land within Sarasota County. Some properties are moving into high-risk flood zone designations while others are moving out, the county noted on its website.

The problem, however, is that the maps are so difficult to read that locating a particular home isn’t easy, WTPS reported.

“It’s not easy to determine where you property falls in those flood maps,” the station quoted Peter Crowley, broker and owner of ReMax Alliance Group, as saying.

That is creating an issue for real estate agents who find themselves unable to tell potential homebuyers if the properties they are considering will be in the clear when the new maps take effect in 2016, the station noted.

Residents who are unclear where they stand will find a number of workshops on the schedule to address their questions. The next one is set for Thursday, Jan. 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Morgan Family Community Center, 6207 W. Price Blvd. in North Port.

Two other meetings have been scheduled:

• Feb. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Sarasota Bayfront Center, 803 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
• March 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave., Venice

April workshops are still be scheduled.

For more information, call Sarasota County at 941-861-5000.

More information is also available online at https://www.scgov.net/FloodMaps/Pages/default.aspx.

Image via Shutterstock

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