Standard-Examiner correspondent?

WILLARD — Residents who have not been listed on the flood plain map but are on a new map being put together by the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be required to purchase flood insurance — and they might want to do it sooner rather than later.?FEMA is updating flood maps for the community and will be finished by October.?Utah Flood Plain Manager John Croft told the city council that ?homeowners insurance will not cover floods and that flood insurance is necessary if residents want compensation in the event of a 100-year flood.?Croft told Willard residents if they do not have a flood insurance policy and the updated FEMA map shows their home in a flood plain, they should purchase their flood insurance now at the cheaper rates rather than wait until the maps are approved.?”I don’t work for FEMA. I work for the state. I am not required to tell you this. If you buy your insurance now, FEMA will grandfather in the rates,” Croft said.?Homeowners insurance will not cover anything to do with water unless the insured is listed as a preferred customer, Croft told the council.?To be removed from the flood plain maps, a resident must file a Letter of Map Amendment.?”I don’t understand the LOMA process. I don’t know how people can write a letter and magically be removed from a flood plain,” said Councilman Kenneth Braegger.?”My next concern is, how does the federal government say, ‘We don’t have enough people to make this profitable, so let’s include other communities to join in to help pay for it?’ ?”And I don’t understand the map. We all live along the Wasatch Front, and every one of us is susceptible to flash floods.”?Croft said FEMA distinguishes between flash floods and the 100-year flood caused by snowmelt.?Resident Roger Wells said he had four pieces of property that he did a LOMA with, but the updated map has the parcels back in the flood plain area.?Mayor Ryan Tingey said, “My recommendation is, if you are listed in the flood plain and you want flood insurance, you better purchase this insurance now rather than in October.”?The city council is reviewing how to get a map revision for the community.?”We are stuck, unless we can get some clemency from the governor,” said Councilman Rod Mund.?Braegger said, in the 1930s, the federal government built the dike in the north end of the community to handle floodwater.?”We need to look to see if the dike will handle a 100-year flood and update it if necessary to get our community out of the flood plain.”