County divided over flood insurance plan

LYON COUNTY, Ky.--- When Flood 2011 hit, it caused a lot of pain and frustration, propelling county leaders into action.? Now that action is causing pain and frustration of its own. Here's what happened; Lyon County Judge Executive Wade White tells us after the flood the county "opted in" to the National Flood Insurance Program.?
That allowed people needing flood insurance, to get it. It also meant everyone with a mortgage who F.E.M.A. said was at risk for flooding had to buy flood insurance, and that's where the problem lies.

The judge says 77 homeowners who live just above the flood plain recently received letters from their banks saying they too have to buy the insurance.?
Homeowners are so outraged the county is considering backing out of the flood insurance program all together.
which would leave 5 homeowners unable to buy the flood insurance they desperately need.?

John Sullivan's Lyon County home sits on a hill on Lake Barkley, he's close to the water but not too close.
Sullivan says if the water rises above 375 feet, it goes over the dam, his house's base elevation is two feet above that, so he believe it's O.K.
But the recent F.E.M.A.map says he's wrong, so he must pay for flood insurance.

"How can you just arbitrarily pick a spot in our back yard and say it's going to flood, they can't prove it," Sullivan said.

But he has to prove F.E.M.A. wrong by hiring a surveyor, 76 other Lyon County homeowners are in the same boat and it's all because leaders wanted to give the five people whose homes do flood, a chance to buy flood insurance.

"Why wouldn't they check that first?? How do you just say you want to do something to help five people and not know it's going to impact everybody else," Sullivan asked.

Judge Executive Wade White admits he looked at these maps before they were effective during a comment and appeal period, he saw that the maps showed parts of some structures in the floodplain.

He didn't realize that meant owners would have to pay. he's tried to talk to F.E.M.A., but said they won't listen.

"When we can't control what's going on in our own county and help people then yeah, that makes me angry," White said.

As for Sullivan, he paid six hundred dollars for a survey. The surveyor said he was right, the F.E.M.A. maps were wrong.? They sent that off to F.E.M.A., now they're just waiting to hear what F.E.M.A. had to say.

If the county commissioners decide they do want out of this plan, the judge says they'd have to rescind the flood plain ordinance, before they do that, they have to meet three times.
Under federal law, mortgage companies are required to make customers purchase flood insurance if they're in a county that participates in the national flood insurance program.

Source: http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/County-divided-over-flood-insurance-plan-181449371.html

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