From USA Today (Peter Eisler):
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has revoked its accreditation of the levees as part of an effort to update the government’s flood hazard maps, which guide state, local and federal decisions on development in flood-prone areas. Properties protected by the levees now are in flood hazard zones, which means owners who have federally backed mortgages are required by banking laws to carry flood insurance.
More coverage from The Fort Morgan Times (Dan Barker):
Levees across the nation need to be recertified under the FEMA flood map modernization program, which began in 2004 and started in this area in 2008, she said. This mapping sets the flood insurance rate maps, which are also being converted to digital images, said Dawn Gladwell, mapping project specialist for FEMA. The Army Corps of Engineers inspects levees for its own insurance program, but has backed away from certifying levees, except when it maintains them itself in rare instances, said Mark Kempton of Anderson Consulting Engineers, a firm which does certification. One advantage of having complied with the Corps is that Wiggins likely meets FEMA`s requirements for periodic maintenance, and that documentation will help smooth the certification process, said Chris Pauley, senior project manager with Anderson Consulting Engineers. The modernization program must certify that all levees meet the minimum standards consistent with the possibility of a 100-year flood, Gladwell said.
More infrastructure coverage here.