FEMA likely to 'Bypass' Hazen flood protection
Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives and contracted engineers visited Hazen city officials last Wednesday to report that the State Highway 200 Bypass running through Hazen would most likely no longer classify as a levee. For the citizens of Hazen, the news could be a kick to the wallet. The de-accreditation of the levee would move all of Hazen south of the Highway 200 Bypass from moderate-risk flood classification to high-risk flood classification – and require all residents falling into that high-risk zone to purchase flood insurance. The flood risk posed to Hazen residents would not change – but the insurance premiums paid by Hazen residents would. For example, according to the National Flood Insurance Program’s Web site at www.floodsmart.gov, a preferred-risk policy with $150,000 of building coverage and $60,000 of coverage on contents would cost an annual payment of $326 if the building had a basement or enclosure. The property must be located in a low-to-moderate-risk flood zone, called zones B and C.
