FEMA Floodplain Update
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has completed a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) that became effective in Butler County on August 2, 2018. Butler Township adopted a Floodplain Ordinance consistent with the current FEMA guidelines on May 21, 2018 and complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The FIRM is used for flood insurance determinations, floodplain management and other planning and building requirements applications.
There were several properties in Butler Township that were affected by the new FIRM. Some properties were added in the new map and some were taken out. Any property that experienced a change in the designation on the FIRM from the previous map would have received notification from Butler Township of such change.
Butler Townships revised Flood Plain Ordinance (Ord. 900) as adopted on May 21, 2018, can be viewed at the following link: https://ecode360.com/9628667
You can search by address with the following link to see where the floodplain is in relation to your property or if it is even effected: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search
Community Identified Flood Hazard Area
Several properties in Butler Township were previously in a floodplain and have now been determined to be out of a floodplain per the FIRM. Butler Township has, however, assessed all of these changes and have determined that although some of the properties were taken out of the FIRM they may have experienced flooding in the past and may be at risk of experiencing flooding again in the future. These properties were included in the Community Identified Flood Hazard Area Map, as adopted on August 20, 2018 along with a floodplain ordinance amendment (Ord 904). If your property is in the Community Identified Floodplain Area, this does not impact your property with regard to flood rate insurance, but it does impact your property such that your property must comply with the building regulations set forth in the Butler Township Floodplain Ordinance as adopted. Any properties that are included in the Community Identified Floodplain Ordinance would have also received notification from Butler Township.
The link to this Ordinance and Map can also be viewed at the following link: https://ecode360.com/9628667
To view the FEMA Floodplain Map, including the Community Identified Floodplain Areas, click on the following link: FEMA Floodplain Map
Helpful information regarding flood insurance is found at www.floodsmart.gov.
The ordinance and the flood maps are also available for review at the Township Administration Office at 290 South Duffy Road, Butler PA 16001.