PERRY FLOOD SAFEGUARDS AT RISK; APRIL 1 IS DEADLINE TO MEET FED FLOOD INSURAHCE CRITERIA

PERRYVILLE -- Residents of Perry County could lose their flood insurance and become ineligible for federal disaster assistance unless the county complies with federal flood-plain regulations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Wednesday announced that Perry County will be suspended from the National Flood Insurance Program effective April 1.

The county was notified of deficiencies in its flood-plain-management program and possible violations of local flood-damage-prevention ordinances in a Nov. 30, 1995, letter from FEMA.

Phil Kirk, public affairs officer with FEMA's regional office in Kansas City, said Perry County can avoid probation if it answers FEMA's concerns before April 1.

"There is every opportunity for the county to resolve the issues and prevent probation from occurring," Kirk said. "If the issues can be resolved, we will not probate them. That would be our preference. We don't want to probate them."

Members of the Perry County Commission could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but Kirk said, "I know they are working to try to get this issue resolved."

If placed on probation, policyholders would be hit with a $50 surcharge at the time of policy renewal. New property owners could still get coverage during the probation period but would also pay the surcharge.

"What the charge actually is is a way to raise the issue in the community to get the situation resolved," Kirk said.

Perry County currently has 143 flood insurance policies in force with $4.4 million in coverage that would be affected by the probation. The surcharge alone would cost current policyholders an additional $7,150.

Probation typically lasts up to one year, but if a community makes the effort to rectify its problems, FEMA will grant an extension. If sufficient effort is not made, Perry County could be suspended from the flood insurance program.

"If at some point a determination is made that it cannot be resolved, we will move to suspend them from the National Flood Insurance Program," said Kirk. "If that occurs, no flood insurance will be available in the county."

However, Kirk said, "We are a long way from doing that."

If suspended, Perry County would also be unable to receive federal disaster assistance in the event of future flooding. Federal agencies are also prohibited from making grants, loans or guarantees for properties in flood hazard areas in suspended communities.

Perry County's chief deficiencies with federal standards include failure to provide evidence of a flood-plain-development permit-review process and failure to properly evaluate a variance request.

"A lot of this stuff can be done with paper," Kirk said, noting that the county commission could pass new flood-plain-management laws that equal or exceed federal standards.

The second step, he said, is for county officials to enforce those standards.

Flood-plain structures not in federal compliance are more likely to suffer damage during a flood, Kirk said, leading to insurance claims and other costs that taxpayers eventually pay.

"Missouri has had a lot of flooding in the last few years so there are a lot of issues we are working with for communities' own protection and to protect taxpayers," Kirk said.

Lincoln County, directly north of St. Charles County on the Mississippi River, also has been notified of impending probation, which is scheduled to begin March 4.