Where would I find flood plain information?

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1

There’s a house that I like in Amherst. There’s a creek at the end of the back yard, which is cool. The owners are selling the house themselves and were delightfully honest. Apparently the creek rises to halfway up the backyard every spring when the snow melts. They say they are not technically on a flood plain, they are not required to carry flood insurance, etc.

It’s up near where the 990 ends at Millersport. About a mile or so downstream a couple other little tributaries join up to form the creek that washed out part of Hopkins Road a year or so ago, then it dumps into Tonawanda creek.

Where could I do some real research on the creek, flooding, foundation issues, etc?

House in question:

http://www.nyspeed.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10826&stc=1&d=1256046634

I’ve always wanted waterfront property…

2

FEMA.gov. Pretty sure there are flood maps there.

Edit: http://www.msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1

3

Considering the 500 year flood map puts the water 1 block from my house that is miles from the nearest creek I’m pretty sure a 100 year flood would take that house.

Great link Travis. :tup: I’ve seen the 500 year flood map in my land survey but was never able to find it online.

4

surround the house with an anti-moat. Problem solved. Does FEMA list previous creek levels? I know someplace online does, we went over it back in geo101.

5

+1

this is the site used here at work(I work in mortgage) to verify info.

6

Hey where can I get a 2012 flood map? Just sayin…:slight_smile:

Age of "aqua"rious

7

Oof, looks like around every 10 years Tonawanda creek gets close to 16’, which the text says is enough to “inundate Ransom Oaks.” Which is right nearby and has to mean that it would inundate this neighborhood.

http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=buf&gage=rapn6&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6&type=2

8

At least you have a boat.

9

You have a boat why worry? Isn’t flood insurance mad cheap until you have a flood anyways?

Buy the house and pay for flood insurance and stay there until it does flood, if ever. Have house fixed, then move someplace else if you care.

It looks to be 2 stories, just drag everything upstairs and leave the boat in the driveway. :slight_smile:

10

The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plains.

11

I was told flood insurance only covers hwt and furnaces. fyi.

12

That’s water backup insurance on your homeowners. this is regular flood insurance

13

That is a great link…thanks.

14

Then just knock on the nextdoor neighbors door and ask if it is mandatory. lol

15

Fry here in Clarence you can go to town hall and look at it, I think it’s hanging on a wall. it always surprised me that the zone went so far from tona creek(like halfway to clarence ctr down goodrich)

16

you could just call your insurance company

17

if you’re in a FEMA flood zone, the insurance is very expensive (wild guess of 600-1200 more per year).

I’m lucky because my backyard slopes downhill enough for me to be just out of the flood zone:

http://www.nyssan.org/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1890&g2_serialNumber=2

I still had to fight with my mortgage company to prove that I didn’t need flood insurance. It took the recent FEMA maps being faxed for them to get them to back down.

18

ya I pay 1200 a year to fucking FEMA because the flood zone in in my lawn, Fuck them and my mortgage company!

19

split your property into two parcels so the property that is in the flood zone is not attached to the mortgage. just make sure its a decent distance away from the flood line incase FEMA changes the map.

20

hmm thats a thought, The answer that I got when was that my bank interpreted the map differently than the cheektowaga engineer. I’m going to try and fight it obviously!