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Models remove thousands of Raleigh properties from floodplain maps, lessening risk for some

New flood prediction models are removing more than a thousand buildings and homes in Raleigh from the path of future flooding.

Posted Updated

By
Matt Talhelm
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — New flood prediction models are removing more than a thousand buildings and homes in Raleigh from the path of future flooding.

Areas along Crabtree Creek will see the biggest changes under the new FEMA floodplain maps. The revisions mean some Raleigh property owners are at risk.

Crabtree Creek was calm on Monday.

But when you look at the current floodplain map, the whole area is covered. That blue disappears with the updated map. These homes behind me would no longer be in the floodplain, and that adds up to savings for families.

"The last major update was in May of 2006, so we’re long overdue for a map update," said Brown.

"That did affect a lot of properties on Crabtree Creek," said Raleigh floodplain administrator Ben Brown. "There’s still flooding on Crabtree Creek as we’ve all seen, but it won’t be as deep and widespread per these maps."

This map compares the current floodplain to the new one.

Wide swaths of blue show the land covered by the floodplain.

Those become thinner strips as properties are removed. Currently, the floodplain covers more than 10,682 acres of land in the city.

That drops to just over 9,093 acres on the new map. The number of buildings in the way of high water would drop from 3,179 to 1,805.

One of those is Alex Spicer's home.

"We don’t usually see a whole lot on our property," Spicer said. "It’s usually back that way a little bit."

Her family will be able to drop the extra insurance required for the flood plain.

"It’s going to save us a lot of money. We pay a lot for flood insurance now, and we’ve never really had to deal with it."

You can see the map that indicates where the floodplain changes here.

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