The number of local homes in flood zones doubled in a new survey FEMA issued yesterday, leaving tens of thousands of property owners facing sharply higher bills for flood insurance within a couple of years.
Preliminary maps issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency added another 35,000 homes to the 35,000 currently deemed at risk from rising waters in the city and Westchester.
“It’s a fairly significant and dramatic change in the areas that are high hazard,” said FEMA coordinator Mike Byrne.
Homeowners that were shifted into the expanded flood zones will have to buy flood insurance if they hold mortgages from federally chartered banks — and that could be very expensive if they’re on low ground.
A home four feet below the base flood level set by FEMA would get socked with a premium of $9,500 a year. Those at the FEMA base level would pay $1,410, and those three feet or move above the base would be charged $427 a year.
If they want to escape the highest charges, homeowners would have to elevate their properties.
One city official estimated the minimum cost of such a lift at $40,000.
“It’s definitely going to be a hardship on a number of people,” said Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro. “There may be some that just decide to sell . . . and get out.”
State Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Queens), who represents the Rockaways, said the new maps have the potential of driving people from his community.
“You can’t ask a resident who can’t afford to raise their home to pay $10,000 in flood insurance,” he said.
The entire Rockaways peninsula is now in a flood zone.
Officials explained that the earliest the maps would take effect is the summer of 2015. The FEMA maps are available at http://www.Region2Coastal.com.