![]() Clair County at an open house in East St. Louis Public Radio Dan Shulman of FEMA explains the new preliminary flood maps for St. “Approaching equity is everything in this administration.” “We absolutely share the concern about the impact of flood maps on historically underserved communities,” he said. That’s not something that’s lost on Shulman of FEMA. When floods occurred, that only further degrades the value of those homes and the wealth of those communities, Dorothy said. “A lot of areas that were redlined in the 1920s and 1930s were redlined because they were flood prone, and then communities of color - Black residents, African Americans, immigrants - were all forced to live in these flood-prone areas.” Dorothy and American Rivers see this situation as one created by systemic racism. “It is critically important that the public get engaged with this process to provide feedback to FEMA on any potential errors in the map,” said Olivia Dorothy, restoration director with American Rivers.Ī part of what Dorothy’s organization does is advocating for those impacted by environmental changes. Clair County, the minimum rate for flood insurance is $1,200 annually. Many others not backed by the government would not lend to a homebuyer without flood insurance in at-risk areas. “For us residents who are trying to keep everything in order so we can be covered and safe, it’s now beginning to get harder,” Yates said.įlood insurance in some areas is required by mortgage lenders backed by the federal government. Another is a single parent with two daughters. One friend down the street is elderly and on a fixed income. Louis who didn’t have insurance and will now be required to do so. While Yates won’t have to make any changes, she said she feels for her neighbors on Church Lane in East St. “I've been with that house all of my life, and I have never known that home ever in my life to ever be flooded,” Yates said. Within two months, Yates estimates, the renovations wrapped up and she’d replaced much of what she lost. Yates’ teenage daughter also had a room below ground and lost a number of items. The rainwater damaged her basement and personal items. Her basement flooded last July when heavy rains inundated many homes in the area. Yates was one of a handful of community members who stopped by the open house at the Clyde Jordan Center in East St. “I, thankfully, already have it,” she said of flood insurance. ![]() Louis native, got zoned into a higher-risk area by the new map. Yates' home on Church Lane was flooded last July when heavy rains inundated the area. ![]() Louis resident, attended the FEMA open house in her hometown last week. Sharice Yates Sharice Yates, a lifelong East St. If new homes have been zoned into higher-risk areas, the property owners could be required to purchase flood insurance - which can be expensive. The communities most at risk tend to be predominantly ones of color and lower income. Those organizers and FEMA are also asking for feedback on the maps. “It could be significant changes it could be no change.” “It really varies from property to property what those changes could be,” Shulman said. While these maps are in their preliminary phase, community organizers and FEMA are asking for residents to educate themselves about the threat of flooding in historically hard hit parts of the Metro East. The maps, which have not been updated since 2003, depict the danger presented to home and property owners in Madison, St. “With this updated information, it will allow the county and individuals to make informed decisions,” said Dan Shulman, who works with FEMA’s Region 5 office based in Chicago. The Federal Emergency Management Agency held four open houses in various Metro East communities over the past two weeks to showcase the agency’s preliminary flood-risk maps for the area. Some Metro East residents may be mapped into a new flood zone - one that could require homeowners to purchase flood insurance. ![]()
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