Fix FEMA mess

EDITOR:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently produced a new map showing their concept of the Carson Valley floodplain. This new map adds several hundred Douglas County homes to the floodplain. None of these additions were even touched by the 1997 flood. The monetary impact is that the owner of any home within the newly defined floodplain with a mortgage will be required to carry federal flood insurance. This insurance will cost from $800 to $900 per year per household.

The monetary drain to Carson Valley for just the flood insurance is going to be significant. The premiums for this insurance will go to FEMA and in reality is nothing less than an additional federal tax. Moreover, the price of houses within the floodplain will certainly be subject to further decline.

Potential real estate buyers will be very skeptical about purchasing a house lying in a floodplain specified by the U.S. government. This is certainly not going to help to entice retirees to move to Douglas County especially if they realize that FEMA can add their home to the flood plain without any justification. Many of the homes which have been added to the FEMA floodplain map are already owned or occupied by seniors or retirees. An additional $900 a year to pay for their flood insurance premiums is more that many of them can afford with their fixed incomes.

It's about time that our elected representatives take action to protect their constituents against incompetent FEMA officials and correct this debacle.

Paul Lockwood

Minden