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Planning commission adopts FEMA-approved flood prevention language
Summary
The St. Tammany Parish Planning and Zoning Commission approved updates to the parish flood-damage prevention ordinance to match FEMA's model language, a change officials said is necessary for continued federal compliance.
The St. Tammany Parish Planning and Zoning Commission approved amendments to the parish flood-damage prevention ordinance to adopt FEMA's model language, planners said at the meeting.
The changes reflect language FEMA provided during a community assistance visit and are intended to keep the parish's regulations consistent with the agency's requirements so residents remain eligible for FEMA programs and flood insurance benefits, Planning Director Cara Bartholomew said. "Much of this is standard language, and it has . . . been approved by FEMA," Bartholomew said. "Any minor changes we can discuss, but for the most part any major changes are not going to be approved because this is preapproved by FEMA."
Why it matters: adopting the FEMA template is a condition for maintaining the parish's standing with federal floodplain management programs and can affect residents' access to certain federal funding and insurance. Several commissioners said a uniform standard simplifies administration and helps communities that rely on FEMA funding.
Public comment at the meeting included pushback from local flood-watch activists, who urged the commission to consider newer, higher-resolution mapping data. Matthew Allen of North Shore River Watch said the parish still relies on flood studies from the 1990s and recommended the commission use more recent LIDAR-based analyses and Army Corps studies when evaluating flood risk. "To continue to use inadequate data from over 30 years ago is not doing our future any favors," Allen said. Staff replied that adopting the FEMA template preserves consistency between local regulations and federal maps and that locally targeted overlays could address areas where residents and technical data suggest higher risk.
Commission discussion centered on the tradeoff between using FEMA's consistent, preapproved language to preserve compliance and the community's desire to use the most up-to-date risk data for planning. Commissioner Martino said FEMA standards are widely used across the Gulf Coast and provide a consistent baseline for municipalities seeking FEMA funding.
A motion to approve the ordinance amendments was made by Commissioner Truxillo and seconded by Commissioner Robert; the motion carried.
The ordinance updates take effect under the parish process for local code changes and were adopted with staff conditions as described at the meeting.
