Mass. congressmen ask FEMA to slow flood zone map requirements

After a recent successful challenge of the scientific methodology used to redraw the coastal high-hazard zones, the Massachusetts congressional delegation is asking federal officials to put the brakes on new flood zone maps for the Bay State. Officials from the town of Rockport, Mass., persuaded FEMA officials to modify flood maps, arguing successfully that the elevations used to determine which properties were at risk of severe flooding were based on a Pacific Coast wave model that was not appropriate for the East Coast town. The town spent $24,000 on scientific studies to prove that the federal agency’s proposed flood maps were flawed.

Read more