Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation hosted an open house Tuesday to discuss updated flood maps along the Lake Ontario shoreline and how residents can protect themselves.
High lake levels in 2017 and 2019 caused severe flooding in lakeshore communities, including Edgemere Drive in Greece.
Thomas Song, a resiliency specialist from FEMA, said it's important for people to first understand what their flood risk is.
"What we've seen is that wherever it can rain, it can flood," Song said. "You don't have to live near a lake or near a stream."
Other steps homeowners can take include filling in basements or crawl spaces.
"If they have crawl spaces, if they have a basement that they don't use, if they can fill in that basement, that will relieve a lot of the hazards for that particular building or structure," Song said.
Song noted that it's also important to understand what coverage you have, because most homeowners insurance policies don't cover flood damage. He noted you don't have to live in a flood zone to have flood insurance, and flood insurance is the only type that will cover flood damage.
"The idea of flood insurance is to have somebody else assume your flood risk so you don't have to," Song said. "Rebuilding without any kind of financial assistance can take a toll on a family."