TAMPA, Fla. — You know FEMA creates our flood maps. But did you know they haven't been updated in 30 years?
Wednesday, we got a look at Hillsborough's new map - and a lot of you will be affected.
From Town N' Country all the way to Ruskin, 62,000 new properties will be in flood zones, and that's going to affect how much insurance you need.
"I just got out of college from 11 years of studies and I plan on going back, but at the same time, it's like, I want to spend a little bit of money to enjoy myself. Now I've got to throw it into more bills," says Jeremiah Rodriguez.
He was one of hundreds who waited in lines that went out the door at the Jan K. Platt Library in Tampa.
FEMA and county officials were holding an open house to explain new flood maps-- and how they could impact insurance premiums.
The coastal maps are 30 to 40 years old in many areas, FEMA said.
"A lot of people are being affected by the changes, the higher elevation, so the risk has always been there," said Eugene Henry of Hillsborough County Public Works. "Now, it's just better identified."
This new map revamps flood zones for more than 65,000 people in Hillsborough County. And for some like Rodriguez, it could mean higher flood insurance premiums.
"That's quite frustrating considering I want to do other things," he said.
It's also frustrating for his brother, who's settling down with his girlfriend.
"With a family, there come new expenses. So with this, that might slow things down a little bit."
The new maps put John Sample's Sunset Park home in a slightly higher-risk flood zone, and might also have an impact on his construction business.
"If now, all of a sudden, a property requires several thousand more per year in insurance premiums, well then, the buyer of that property is not going to want to pay quite as much," Sample said.
But the bottom line is it's always best to be prepared.
"It's probably just a matter of time before a big storm does it," Sample said.
Two more meetings are scheduled for Thursday.
- 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Jan Platt Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa
- 4-7 p.m. at Riverview Civic Center, 11020 Park Drive, Riverview.
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