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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Residents should review flood maps
Properties may require flood insurance
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.

    Schenectady County residents are being urged to review preliminary flood maps to determine whether their properties may require mandatory flood insurance, officials said.
    The maps will be presented at an open house Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Rotterdam Town Hall.
    The Federal Emergency Management Agency developed the new maps to provide residents with a realistic assessment of their risk for flooding, said FEMA spokeswoman Barbara Lynch.
    “We want people to look at the maps to make sure there hasn’t been a change in their area. In Schenectady County, there are minor changes,” Lynch said.
    The owner of property in a flood plain must carry mandatory flood insurance if the mortgage is federally backed or if it is through a federally regulated lender, Lynch said. The cost will be less if the property owner purchases the insurance before the new maps take effect, she said.
    “If you buy it beforehand, your current less-risky flood zone designation can be ‘grandfathered’ in, enabling you to get the same coverage and protection at a lower rate,” Lynch said. After the maps take effect, a bank can demand flood insurance coverage, which would cover the new designation, she said.
    Property owners can review Schenectady County maps at http:// http://www.rampp-team.com/ny.htm, or http://www.simsgis.org/sims_lite. They can also visit their local municipal center to examine hard copies of the maps, Lynch said. .........................>>>>..............>>>>................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01002&AppName=1