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Deer Creek residents press O'Fallon officials after floodplain inspection letters
Summary
Residents of the Deer Creek neighborhood pressed O'Fallon city officials at a Community Development Committee meeting after letters saying inspectors would conduct "substantial damage" assessments—language residents say included hail and nonflood events—raising questions about whether homes could be required to be elevated out of the FEMA-mapped floodplain.
Residents of the Deer Creek neighborhood pressed O'Fallon city officials at the Community Development Committee meeting about letters notifying homeowners that inspections for "substantial damage" could lead to requirements to elevate homes out of the FEMA-mapped floodplain.
The residents said the letters, distributed after a March hailstorm and signed by a city building official, included hail and other nonflood events in the examples of damage that could trigger a substantial-damage determination. "I do not understand how hail damage to my roof and the siding can be related to the flood," said Rod Thompson, a Deer Creek resident, during public comment. "The city should rescind their letter … and focus on damage related to flooding," he said, urging the city to follow state and FEMA guidance.
Karen Pfeiffer, who lives at 801 Deer Creek Road, told the committee she and neighbors were surprised by the notices and worried about practical and financial consequences if homes are found to be "substantially damaged"—defined in city correspondence as repairs costing 50% or more of the pre-damage market value. "Exactly how do you raise a home out of the flood plain?" she asked. Mary Coleman, who lives adjacent to a low bridge on Deer Creek, said she has flooded four times in 20 years and wants help addressing recurring runoff.
City staff told the committee they had followed direction from the Illinois state floodplain coordinator and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The city said it had scheduled a meeting between affected Deer Creek residents and the state NFIP liaison to answer technical and procedural questions; the city emphasized that FEMA and the state adopt and maintain the official floodplain maps and that the city is implementing the federal/state inspection directive.
Residents pressed staff on who pays for potential elevation or repairs and on whether the city's upstream development and existing detention basins have increased runoff into Deer Creek. Residents said they have seen erosion and loss of backyard acreage over many years and asked the city to coordinate stormwater and floodplain work. City staff repeatedly said many of the technical answers, including mapping and NFIP rules, must come from the state liaison and FEMA, which is why the city arranged the forthcoming meeting.
The committee did not take formal legislative action on the concerns but directed staff to proceed with the scheduled meeting between residents and the state NFIP representative. Committee members urged affected residents to attend the state-led session for detailed, authoritative answers.
Residents asked the city to rescind or clarify the inspection letters for nonflood damage and to coordinate public-works stormwater responses with floodplain procedures; staff said the city would convey the concerns to the state liaison at the scheduled meeting.
