Haywood flood‑map remapping underway; substantial‑damage appeal windows closing this summer

Jody Ferguson, who handles flood‑plain management for unincorporated Haywood County, briefed commissioners on when new flood maps and appeals will come. Ferguson said the state used updated LiDAR data this spring to redraw hydrography across the French Broad Basin and that those datasets will form the basis of preliminary maps. "They did new lidar data this spring, and that's what the maps will be based on," Ferguson said, and warned that map rollouts will take many months and include a preliminary review period and public comment windows.

Ferguson gave the board counts tied to substantial‑damage determinations after Hurricane Helene: Haywood County issued 53 substantial‑damage letters (16 of those were properties previously affected by Fred) and the town of Clyde issued 147 letters. She reminded property owners that the typical review period for preliminary maps is about 90 days and that appeals require concrete evidence (surveys, elevation certificates or engineering data). For owners who received letters dated Oct. 16, 2024, Ferguson said the county's practical appeal cutoff corresponds with county mitigation deadlines around July 11, 2025; the second batch of letters dated Nov. 18 has an appeal window through mid‑August 2025.

The board did not adopt new policy at the meeting; commissioners were advised to prepare evidence for map protests and to help residents understand how appeals and elevation decisions interact with flood insurance and conveyance obligations.