JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — When a major storm hits, you often have a short period of time to react. Ahead of the next storm season, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is rolling out new flood maps for coastal counties.
“These particular maps are for much of the coastal areas in Duval County. That's one of the reasons why we're here today, so that we can do some outreach to the public to let them know the flood risk here in the area,” Danon Lucas, with FEMA, explained.
The latest maps were redrafted and finished this past summer, but had a delayed release due to Hurricane Hermine and Hurricane Matthew. The biggest changes affect Jacksonville Beach.
“Our house is located high. on a high level, but I know I know there are a lot of low laying areas around that need some attention,” Jacksonville Beach homeowner Katherine Cromley said.
During Hurricane Matthew, a lot of people panicked because they had no idea what evacuation zone they were in. FEMA tells us the new maps are moreso to help you decide whether or not to get flood insurance, but it's still vital information nonetheless.
“Whether you're flooding or not, you still have the potential for flooding and you need to know what your risk is,” Lucas continued.
The new flood map shows significantly more Jacksonville Beach streets in the danger zone. Officials encourage everyone to look up their neighborhood and know where they stand.
“We’re too close to the ocean and the other side is the Intracoastal, so we are in an area where we do need to evacuate when we're told to,” Cromley said.
If you missed Tuesday night's meeting to discuss the new maps, you can look up your address and zone on FEMA's website: msc.fema.gov.