FEMA: Spot checks confirm flood maps

Spot checks of 100 locations in Nassau County confirmed that new flood maps are correct, say officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Elevation data was checked at 20 spots in Valley Stream.

The results of the spot checks were announced during a conference call with local officials last week. Among those on the call were village trustee Vincent Grasso, Deputy Village Clerk Bob Fumagalli and Assemblyman Brian Curran.

Last year, FEMA held two meetings in Valley Stream to share information about the new maps, which put much of the community into the high-risk flood zone, as well as answer questions from residents. After hearing concerns from residents, FEMA officials said they would check elevation data throughout the region to confirm the validity of the maps.

Tim Crowley, director of mitigation for FEMA’s Region 2, said the data provided to FEMA by Nassau County was valid and within FEMA’s standards for establishing coastal flood elevations. He said some minor changes would be made to the maps, but none that would remove any homes from the flood zone.

According to Crowley, the 100 spot check sites were determined by FEMA, its mapping company and Nassau County. “They were identified to provide the best representation of the locations across the flood zone,” he said.

Gibson resident Carol Crupi said she is not surprised by the results. She is contending that FEMA is using the wrong base elevation. Now, homes in Valley Stream that are less than 11 feet above sea level fall into the high risk flood zone. The base used to be eight feet. That three-foot difference, she says, puts thousands of homes in the community into the flood zone, forcing residents to pay four-figure annual flood insurance premiums.

Crupi pointed out that Sen. Chuck Schumer, who visited Valley Stream back in September, questioned the change from eight feet to 11 feet. “They totally ignored him,” Crupi said.

Grasso said after learning of the results on the conference call, he said the conversation shifted to what other actions Valley Stream could take. He said the village could develop a mitigation plan to reduce the flood risk and lower insurance premiums for residents. Plans could range from a village notification system to construction of a seawall, the latter scenario being unlikely, he said.

“There are certain actions we can take,” Grasso said, adding that village officials will soon have a meeting with Jim Callahan from the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management.

Curran, meanwhile, is calling for a community-wide review of the flood maps. He said that 20 spot checks aren’t enough in Valley Stream and it deserves its own study because there is no history of coastal flooding in the community. “I’m still voicing my support for the village-wide evaluation of the data they used for Valley Stream,” he said.

In addition, the assemblyman said he recently met with representatives for U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, to rally support for legislation that would put a five-year moratorium on the maps. Curran said he is also trying to set up a meeting with FEMA officials to review the options for Valley Stream. He hopes for that meeting to take place within the next two weeks.