An estimated 2,000 people in Austell, GA, lost their homes or sustained significant
damage in last week’s flood when damage exceeded flood map boundaries. Many property owners whose homes were ruined had no idea that their standard
homeowners insurance policy would not cover damage caused by a massive
flood. Those who did understand the policies probably had no inkling that a
property located outside the flood zone still faced a significant chance of
getting hit.
Mapping experts all over Atlanta are anxious to compare the floodplain maps
with aerial maps of the flooding that actually occurred. Ernie Smith, the
GIS coordinator in Newton County, said the flooding appeared to remain close
to the predicted flood zone around the Alcovy and South rivers. But around
the Yellow River the flooding appears to exceed the expected boundaries, he
said.
Only 60 flood insurance policies were in
force on Austell properties, federal data show.
It’s unclear now how far off the maps are for the Atlanta area. In some parts
of town, the rainfall that came with the recent storm exceeded the so-called
“100 year flood,” the event that has a 1-in-100 chance of occurring each
year. The U.S. Geological Survey concluded last week that rainfall in parts of Cobb
and Douglas counties was so intense that it had only a 1-in-500 chance of
occurring. With such an event, the flooding would be expected to extend
beyond the official floodplain.
Excerpted from www.ajc.com.
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