WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker today urged residents in Forrest and Lamar counties to attend upcoming meetings to find out more about floodplain management and potential changes to the floodplain maps in their communities.

The Mississippi Flood Map Modernization Initiative Team will host a Flood Risk Open House in Forrest County on Tuesday, October 21, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  The meeting will be held in the community room of the Forrest County Library located at 329 Hardy Street in Hattiesburg.  The Lamar County meeting will be held the following day, on Wednesday, October 22, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Lamar County Multipurpose & Fairground Complex located at 99 Central Industrial Road in Purvis.

Sen. Cochran said: “These meetings represent an opportunity for people in Forrest and Lamar Counties to take an active role in local floodplain management. Our state has experienced significant flooding events over the past year, and I am hopeful these meetings will engage and educate the public about flood risk and mitigation.”

Sen. Wicker said: “Hurricane Katrina taught us how important it is to have accurate flood maps.  All counties in Mississippi are now going through this floodplain review process, and it is important to have public participation.  I strongly encourage residents to attend their local meeting to learn more about the process from local, state, and federal officials.”

The open houses will provide the public with an opportunity to review the recently completed preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) that include base flood information and the identification of areas subject to flood hazards within Forrest and Lamar counties. 

Local, state, and federal officials will be present to provide the public information about flood risk, flood insurance, floodplain development requirements, and the process for floodplain mapping within Forrest and Lamar counties and their incorporated communities. Once the preliminary FIRMs become effective, these maps will be used by floodplain permit officials, builders and developers, lenders, realtors, insurance agents, and the general public to determine flood risk.

The preliminary maps for the two counties are available for viewing at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality website.  The map for Forrest County can be viewed here, and Lamar County’s map can be viewed here. 

Property owners, realtors, lenders, and insurance agents are encouraged to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation within Forrest and Lamar counties.