The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to update flood hazard/risk maps in Wasco County.
If you think a part of your property might be at flood risk, here are two resources to see how FEMA has assessed your risk:
- A side-by-side map view showing the flood hazard assessment done in the 1980s and the new assessment. Use the + and – symbols to zoom in and out, and drag the map around to find your property.
- A map showing which structures might be affected by this map change.
If you disagree with FEMA’s assessment, you can appeal as described in the FEMA letter below.
Greetings,
This is to notify you that the statutory 90-day Appeal Period for Wasco County and Incorporated Areas, Oregon began on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, and it will end on January 17, 2024. We have published a notice of the proposed flood hazard determinations in the Federal Register. A public notification concerning the appeal process was also published in the Columbia Gorge News on October 11 and October 18, 2023, with the second publication marking the official start of the Appeal Period.
The Appeal Period is the time when comments and appeals, with supporting technical data, may be submitted. Both technical and non-technical data will be accepted and reviewed for consideration and possible incorporation into the maps. Any owner or lessee of real property, within a community where a proposed flood elevation determination has been made who wishes to appeal and comment on the maps should submit their comments through their respective jurisdictions. The jurisdictions should submit these appeals and comments using one of the following methods:
- Through the mail to:
FEMA Region 10 Service Center
20700 44th Ave. W., Suite 130
Lynnwood, WA 98036
– OR –
- Through email to:
rscx@starr-team.com and cc: soumya.sagarika@atkinsrealis.com and Dwight.perkins@fema.dhs.gov
If a constituent insists on submitting their appeal information directly to FEMA, one can provide these addresses to them for them to submit. Just note, that because the community is the official participant in the National Flood Insurance Program and is responsible for keeping their community reasonably safe from flooding, we will be providing copies back to the community so there is an awareness of what is being commented on and to allow the community to provide feedback on any comment or appeal.
All submittals and supporting data are due to FEMA by the last day of the appeal period on January 17, 2024.
At the end of the Appeal Period and following the resolution of any comments, FEMA will send you a Letter of Final Determination (LFD). The scheduled LFD date could change if there are comments or appeals that require additional processing of the Flood Insurance Study and Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The effective date for the project will be six months after the LFD is issued.
General Information
If you have questions about this Risk MAP project, please contact the FEMA Region 10 Engineer Ted Perkins at Dwight.perkins@fema.dhs.gov or (425) 301-6247.
The STARR II Region 10 Help Desk is another resource available to answer project-related questions. STARR II staff will route and research your question and respond within three business days. Submit your questions via email, the address is RegionXHelpDesk@starr-team.com.
If you want to keep up with what’s happening around Region 10, get project status updates, or learn about upcoming events and training opportunities, subscribe to the Region 10 monthly newsletter. For more information or to subscribe, email rxnewsletter@starr-team.com.
