The city of Hopkinsville was issued its Letter of Final Determination on March 17, 2008 for the new Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM). The city is required to adopt the new DFIRM through ordinance amendment, and the new flood maps will become effective upon publication on or before September 17, 2008. Many flood boundaries have changed, and some properties have been mapped into the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Typically, this SFHA corresponds to the 100-year floodplain and will be marked as Zone A or Zone AE on the DFIRM.

If you have a mortgage from a federally-regulated lender and building(s) on your property are within the SFHA, then by federal law, your lender must require you to carry flood insurance when the DFIRM becomes effective on September 17, 2008. Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Contact your insurance agent to learn about lower-cost “grandfathering” options offered by the NFIP for properties being mapped into higher-risk areas for the first time. For more information on flood insurance, visit the National Flood Insurance Program’s website, www.floodsmart.gov.

In addition, any portions of properties that lie within the newly mapped SFHA will be subject to floodplain development regulations per City Ordinance Chapter 151. Please contact the Hopkinsville-Christian County Planning Commission at 887-4285 to check the new DFIRM for your property or to obtain more information on floodplain development regulations.