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Regional planner: updated FEMA flood maps likely "a year or two," preliminary maps may appear sooner
Summary
Two Rivers Odichi representative Kyle Catz told the Select Board that FEMA map updates for the state are ongoing, that some small areas already have preliminary maps, and that a full update for the region could take about one to two years.
Kyle Catz of the Two Rivers Odichi Regional Commission told the Select Board that FEMA is publishing updated, higher-resolution flood maps across the state and that the town should expect updated maps in "a year or two." He added that some preliminary maps have already appeared for limited areas and that the state Department of Environmental Conservation posts estimated county timelines.
"A year or two. Um we might have preliminary maps sooner than that," Kyle said when asked how long it could take for updated maps to be available. He explained the new maps use finer-grain elevation data (one-foot contours) and generally shift boundaries at the edges of mapped floodplains; established flood areas where flooding has occurred are likely to remain mapped, while some fringe areas may be added or removed.
Kyle cautioned that mapping narrower streams for rare extreme events is difficult and pointed to past storms (including Irene and a July 2023 event in Plymouth) that produced channel changes and localized buyouts. He recommended the town monitor updates posted by the Department of Environmental Conservation and FEMA's comparison platform to understand how new maps will alter local floodplain designations.
