· PUBLIC NOTICE - DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Proposed Base Flood Elevation Determination for Mercer County, Pennsylvania (All Jurisdictions)
September 30, 2010

In 1981, Hermitage adopted land development and building requirements for flood-prone areas of the City (“floodplains”), as defined by the National Flood Insurance Study and Maps. The regulations are contained within the Hermitage Zoning Ordinance, and the floodplains are incorporated into the Hermitage Zoning Map.

By adopting these regulations, the City complies with the National Flood Insurance Program, and property owners or renters in the City are therefore eligible to purchase flood insurance. These regulations are intended to limit or control new development within flood-prone areas near designated streams and rivers, to protect persons and property from flood damage.

FEMA is currently in the process of updating the floodplain mapping and flood insurance study for all of Mercer County. When the federal updating process is completed, the City will be required to update our Zoning Ordinance and Map, incorporating the new information. This is expected to take place sometime in 2011.

In Hermitage, the new floodplain maps contain some significant changes from the original 1981 mapping. Floodplains are now identified in some areas where there were none before, and some current floodplain areas have been eliminated. In other areas, the boundaries of current floodplain areas are different from the existing mapping.

View larger map  :  JPG Image (opens in new window)

This map is the existing Hermitage Zoning Map. The existing floodplain districts are shown in blue (General Flood Plain District), yellow (Floodway District) and green (Flood Fringe District). The red areas illustrate the approximate boundaries of the proposed updated FEMA floodplain areas, as manually transposed by the City staff. The official proposed FEMA maps can be viewed at www.rampp-team.com/pa.htm.

· Mercer County PA - Flood Hazard Mapping Fact Sheets (FEMA)

Property owners, developers, residents and others with interest in properties which may be affected can obtain further information at the following websites:

www.rampp-team.com/pa.htm
Pennsylvania Mapping Status - includes links to the proposed FEMA mapping for Mercer County

www.floodsmart.gov
General information about the National Flood Insurance Program


For more information, contact:

Mrs. Marcia Hirschmann, Director, Planning and Development
800 North Hermitage Road
Hermitage, PA 16148
724-981-0800
mhirschmann@hermitage.net