Second Open House on Flood Risk Zones

This evening, representatives from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will let Sandy Springs residents know if they are in the new proposed flood risk zones.

During the first open house in November, some residents, who feared they were in the 100-year flood zone learned they are not, and others who were not previously in a risk area, discovered their property is now on the preliminary maps.

Residents gave competed address forms to representatives who printed out clear maps of their property lines. Some homeowners whose property was changed to a high-risk zone could be required to purchase National Flood Insurance Program insurance.

“We actually got good news,” said Gail Lynn, who lives in the neighborhood along Landmark Drive. “We used to be [in the flood zone] now we are not. I expected bad news. Not that we ever had any water anywhere.”

Lynn has lived in Sandy Springs since 1969 and has seen a lot of growth.

Collis Brown, program manager for Georgia DNR, explained that development shifts the land. “Every time someone builds a house…[For example,] if he has a vacant lot, when he builds on that lot he’s going to have a portion of it for a driveway and walkway. So whatever rainfall that hits that lot now, everything is soaking the ground,” Brown said. “Those types of changes shift the floodplain.”

Lee Baker has been in her River Shore Estates home off Riverside Drive for 50 years. She is now in the floodplain on the new preliminary maps. “I have only had a flood issue once [during flood of] 2009,” she said.

Baker said she’d like to see Sandy Springs officials pay more attention to storm water run-off. She and neighbors are concerned about their property values.

Baker picked up a map for her neighbor, who did not attend, and learned that property, which has had flooding is not in hazardous flood risk area.  

Brown said the mapping shows only two types of flooding events: 100-year and 500-year flooding. That means, with a 100-year flood, there is a one percent chance in any given year, water will reach that particular design, he said.

Brown added, that if a property is designated as a high risk area but their home is not in the zone, they may not be required to purchase insurance if they have a federally-backed loan.

The open house starts at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers [Building 500]. City Hall is located at 7840 Roswell Road.