News

90 Day Public Appeal and Protest Period on the Preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps for all of Santa Cruz County, including the City of Nogales, and Town of Patagonia starts Wednesday, December 31st, 2008:

Follow up:

Nogales, Arizona – December 30, 2008 - Effective December 31st, 2008, the 90 Day Public Appeal and Protest Period on the Preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps has started. The public has 90 days, ending at the close of business on March 30th, 2009, for residents and business owners to review the new maps and to ask FEMA and Flood Control District Officials questions. In addition, this period gives property owners an opportunity to submit comments, appeals and/or protests to the information shown on the Preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) or the Preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS).

Comments: During the 90-day Appeal period, the public may submit comments concerning street names, community boundaries and other cosmetic or non-floodplain features shown on the Preliminary copies of the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports.

Appeals: During the 90-day Appeal period, the public may also submit an appeal of the proposed new Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) shown on the Preliminary copies of the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports. Only BFEs along water courses with new flood data can be appealed. Those who are interested in submitting an appeal must submit appropriate scientific or technical information to refute the information shown on the Preliminary copies of the DFIRMs and FIS reports, signed and sealed by an Arizona Registered Professional Engineer.

Protests: During the 90-day Appeal period, the public also may submit a protest concerning flood hazard information other than BFEs shown on the Preliminary copies of the DFIRMs and FIS reports, such as boundaries of the updated floodplain, floodways or municipalities. Those who are interested in submitting a protest must submit appropriate scientific or technical information to refute the information shown on the Preliminary copies of the DFIRMs and FIS reports, signed and sealed by an Arizona Registered Professional Engineer or Land Surveyor.

The Preliminary DFIRMs are available for public review at the Santa Cruz County Complex located at 2150 North Congress Drive in Nogales, Arizona. A copy of the Preliminary DFIRMS and Preliminary FIS are also be available for the public to access at the City of Nogales’ Public Works Department located at 1450 North Hohokam Drive, Nogales, Arizona, and Town of Patagonia Clerk Office in Patagonia .

The Preliminary DFIRMS and FIS can also be viewed on line at http://www.co.santa-cruz.az.us/flood/DFIRMS/dfirms.html Please be advised the files are best viewed with a high speed internet connection. There is also a GIS based web application at http://sccaz-assessor.org/Floodplain that can allow individuals to zoom in to specific areas within the County to look at the floodplain mapping being proposed. District Staff is working on a website that will also house brochures and information sheets for the public. When that is available, it will be announced.

All Comments, Appeals, and Protests are to be submitted in duplicate to Mr. John Hays, Floodplain Coordinator, at the Santa Cruz County Flood Control District, 2150 North Congress Drive #117, Nogales, Arizona, 85621. Only those Comments, Appeals, and Protests that are received by the close of business on March 30th, 2009, can be considered and reviewed.

John E. Hays, E.I.T., CFM

Floodplain Coordinator

Santa Cruz County Flood Control District

Email - jhays@co.santa-cruz.az.us