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General
Information About Protecting
Your Family and Property From Floods
Flood information is provided as a
public service to promote awareness of flood hazards in our Town. The Town of
Ocean Ridge has been verified as a Class 8 in the National Flood Insurance
Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).
NFIP policies issued or renewed for properties in the Special Flood Hazard Areas
(SFHAs) will receive a 10% premium discount.
Many people do not realize that
homeowner's insurance does not cover losses due to flooding. Informing yourself
about flood protection is very important for protecting your family,
possessions, and home. The following information and links are provided to
assist you in increasing your awareness about flood protection.
Additionally, the County Library
System provides flood protection information, and maintains copies on the flood
insurance rate maps for the entire county along with explanations on their use
to determine flood zones and elevations.
If you have additional
questions, please call Town Hall at 561-732-2635 or email
lburns@oceanridgeflorida.com
THE LOCAL FLOOD HAZARD
Property within the Town of
Ocean Ridge is located in several different flood zones. You may contact Town
Hall to find out what flood zone your property is located in.
THE FLOOD WARNING SYSTEM
Copies of the Palm Beach
County's Flood Warning Program are available at your nearest county library.
When the National Weather Service can forecast intense rainfall in a timely
manner, our drainage system can be lowered in an attempt to receive the
extraordinary volume of water expected. During periods of prolonged rainfall,
areas of the county are kept under surveillance and reported to the
Emergency Operating
Center. When advised of problem areas, response actions will be taken. When you
detect street flooding in you own area, tune to a television or radio station
known by you to have an active news bureau. You will be advised of measures you
should take to protect your property and yourself.
FLOOD SAFETY
Be aware of what steps to take
to minimize your losses due to flooding. The local television and radio
stations will warn you when it is necessary to secure your property and
evacuate. Live electrical lines cause most hazards. If it appears that
floodwaters will enter your home, turn off all electric and gas service. If you
find that water has entered your home, do not touch electrical switches or
appliances to either turn them on or off. Outside, avoid any pools of water in
which a downed power line is laying. You must assume that all downed power
lines are energized.
FLOOD
INSURANCE
Homeowner’s insurance policies
do not cover losses due to flooding. The Town of Ocean Ridge participates in
the National Flood Insurance Program, which makes flood insurance available to
everyone in the Town. For most, a home and its contents are their greatest
investment. If your property is even suspect to the possibility of flood damage,
from hurricanes or otherwise, you should be protected with an NFIP Flood Policy.
Contact your insurance agent and have him or her discuss the types of coverage
available to you.
Copies of FEMA Elevation
Certificates on buildings constructed in the flood plain since 2001 are
available at the Building Department, Town Hall 6450 N. Ocean Blvd., Ocean
Ridge, FL 33435
PROPERTY PROTECTION MEASURES
When it appears that your
neighborhood is becoming seriously inundated, there are simple things you can do
to protect your property. The following are suggestions to minimize damage to
your residence:
- Store materials like sandbags, tarps, lumber to protect
your home and make quick repairs after a severe storm.
- Sandbag building entrances before a storm or notice of
flooding to protect water from entering your residence.
- Moving your motor vehicles to higher ground.
- Secure your home before evacuating. Bring garbage cans,
outdoor furniture, garden equipment inside or tie them down. Many of the
things you own are not only valuable but are considered by you to be
irreplaceable. These items should be elevated above the floor level to protect
them from flood damage.
- Board up windows or protect them with storm shutters.
PERMITS
The Town of Ocean Ridge
Building Department requires permits for all construction. This includes new
construction, repair/replacement work, additions, signs, and fences, fill, tree
removal, etc. The Town of Ocean Ridge has adopted the Florida Building Code.
Parts of this code regulate the amounts and types of construction in the
floodplain. You must always consult with the building official when planning
any kind of construction. When others violate our floodplain laws, it could
affect your property. The building official should be made aware of such
activities.
DRAINAGE
SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
A community
can lose apportion of its drainage system carrying or storage capacity due to
dumping debris, soil erosion and sedimentation and overgrowth of vegetation.
When this happens flooding occurs most frequently and reaches higher elevation,
subjecting properties otherwise protected to unnecessary risk or damage. Keep
grass clippings and other debris out of stormwater drainage to prevent clogging
and loss of stormwater storage. If you experience any localized drainage
problems or illegal floodplain development, please call the Building department
at 561-732-2635.
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