WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker today urged residents in Franklin County to attend an upcoming meeting 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 Franklin County on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the Franklin County Courthouse, which is located at 35 Main Street in Meadville.  

Sen. Cochran said: “This meeting represents an opportunity for people in Franklin County 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: “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 house 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 Franklin County. 

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 Franklin County 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 map for the county is available for viewing at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality website.  The map for Franklin County 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 Franklin County.