Iowa DNR and FEMA to Host Public Open House for New Flood Maps

CITY OF DUBUQUE CONTACT:
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
563-589-4210
lcarsten@cityofdubuque.org

October 10, 2018 -- For Immediate Release

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will host a public open house on Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 6–8 p.m. at the National Education Center for Ag Safety in Building 3 on the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Campus, located at 8342 NICC Drive in Peosta.  The event will allow residents, business owners, and community officials the opportunity to learn about their potential change in flood risk and to discuss flood insurance options.  

Flood risk can change over time, and Dubuque County’s preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map shows how the flood risk has changed in the community.  There are 236 structures in the 100-year floodplain currently in the city of Dubuque. The new flood maps for Dubuque will remove 49 structures from the floodplain -- primarily in the North Fork of Catfish Creek -- and add five structures. The result is a net reduction to 192 structures in the 100-year floodplain in the city of Dubuque.  

The preliminary floodplain maps provide detailed, property-specific flood risk information to help residents, business owners, and community officials better understand their flood risk and make informed decisions about reducing flood risk and purchasing flood insurance. The maps are currently available for review on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center website at https://msc.fema/gov and at www.iowafloodmaps.org.  

For questions on how to view the preliminary maps and to learn more about the Oct. 17 open house, please contact Jason Conn of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at 515-725-8333 or Jason.Conn@dnr.iowa.gov. 

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