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County Could Lessen Flood Risk

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By JULIA FERRANTE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - In a perfect world, residents along Pasco County's vulnerable west coast would pack up their things and move inland. Their homes would be leveled, and the land would be turned into public parks.

The scenario is pretty much the only way to ensure a county with as much coastline as Pasco is virtually flood-proof, a Federal Emergency Management Agency official told county commissioners at a workshop Tuesday.

"In a perfect world, a perfect scenario would be no people" on the coast, Bob Durrin, a national flood insurance program specialist, said after the workshop. "But we have to weigh that against people's property rights. It isn't going to happen until God makes it happen. FEMA's not going to make it happen."

Just one jurisdiction in the United States, Roosevelt, Calif., has been designated a "Class 1 risk," the lowest level on FEMA's scale of 1 to 10. Pasco, a Class 7, does have room for improvement, Durrin said. He surmised after a tour this week that Pasco could drop a notch on the flood-risk scale with a few improvements and reach Class 4 status.

"It just takes work, and a lot of tedium," Durrin said. "Eventually, there's going to be some advancement."
Development Director Cindy Jolly told commissioners Pasco has a flood ordinance in place that provides guidelines to homeowners about how to reduce their flood risk. She and other county officials are whittling a list of about 60 potential violators in an effort to garner compliance.

Pasco's Class 7 status gives homeowners who must buy flood insurance a 15 percent rate reduction. Getting to Class 6, 5 or 4 status would provide additional discounts. Roosevelt, Calif., has a 45 percent discount.

There is no such thing as flood-proof, Jolly said. Every resident lives in a flood zone. The difference is some are at higher risk. Those who live near the coast are considered a higher risk because they are vulnerable to a storm surge.

Part of the issue with coastal homeowners is that many are not aware of the rules or that their homes violate the flood ordinance, Jolly said. FEMA rules prohibit first-floor living space in coastal homes. That means no recreation rooms, bathrooms or bedrooms. Garages and storage areas are OK, but they must be built with vents or "breakaway walls" designed to collapse and let water through in a flood.

Some homeowners are paying taxes on illegal first-floor living space, Jolly said.

"The property appraiser does not enforce the flood plain ordinance, so even though he may assess for ground floor improvements, he does not have the duty to enforce," she said.

Pasco officials are trying to get residents to comply, Jolly said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano asked Durrin if FEMA would be willing to bend on the no first-floor bathrooms rule.

"The difficult answer is, 'No,'" he said. "From a FEMA standpoint, let's leave the flood zone alone. Bathrooms typically promote much more. If you have a bathroom, you might as well put a bedroom in."

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

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