Mortgage holders of more than 500 northwest Scottsdale properties are now able to cancel their flood insurance due to flood map changes that went into effect July 20.
The Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC), in partnership with the city of Scottsdale and the city of Phoenix, asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to update its flood insurance rate maps for a portion of northwest Scottsdale and northeast Phoenix to make them more accurate.
FEMA’s flood insurance rate maps identify flood hazards, assess flood risks and provide data to guide local stakeholders in taking effective actions, resulting in safer communities.
Based on these changes, the 100-year floodplain became smaller, removing the floodplain from hundreds of properties.
Flood insurance is no longer mandatory for mortgage holders of buildings that are now excluded from the floodplain boundary.
Fifty Scottsdale buildings will remain in the revised floodplain boundary and 25 Scottsdale buildings were mapped into the new floodplain.
Mortgage holders of these 25 buildings will now be required to carry flood insurance pursuant to federal law since the more accurate floodplain boundary shows that these buildings are at risk of flooding on a 100-year storm.
Mortgage holders of buildings no longer within the floodplain can request a flood hazard determination online and provide the information to their mortgage company with their request to cancel flood insurance.
Because severe weather and flooding can be unpredictable in the desert, the city urges residents to consider carrying flood insurance, even though it will no longer be mandatory for mortgage holders of buildings now excluded from the floodplain boundary.
Questions about these changes can be directed to Ashley Couch, Scottsdale’s floodplain administrator, at 480-312-4317 or acouch@ScottsdaleAZ.gov.
Source: City of Scottsdale
Additional Resources:
FAQ: FEMA Risk Rating 2.0 – NAR
Risks for Real Estate, Lending & Insurance Pros – FEMA
Floodplain & Elevation Certificate Viewer – FCDMC
Stormwater and Floodplain Management – City of Scottsdale