The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be performing field work along the shorelines of San Juan County July 14 to July 18.

The fieldwork is part of an effort to develop more accurate coastal flood insurance rate maps for San Juan County.

This field reconnaissance may include some flying over the coastline, walking over coastal areas, collecting sand samples, taking measurements and photographs and examining coastal structures. Private property will be respected by ensuring that the flying will be done above an elevation of 300 feet, and private property will not be accessed without permission from the owner. Contract field personnel will carry identification and have a letter explaining their work.

Data collected in this effort will be used to make sure modeling efforts accurately capture what is on the ground. Currently, San Juan County Flood Insurance Rate Maps have no specified flood elevations.

Floodplain regulations require a landowner to derive these flood elevations themselves, if one is building in an area that is shown in a flood zone. This new analysis will provide flood elevations for the entire coastline of San Juan County.

FEMA has prioritized updating the maps in order to provide the most accurate information to property owners, local governments and the flood insurance program.

For more detail on this effort, see: http://www.fema.gov/coastal-flood-risk-study-process.

If you have any questions or concerns during the field reconnaissance, you may contact Ted (Dwight) Perkins with FEMA Region X at (425) 487-4684 or by email at dwight.perkins@fema.dhs.gov.