Gloucester residents will have the opportunity to review and ask questions about the preliminary FEMA flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) during a public open house from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Achilles Elementary School.

Adoption of the new maps, which may place certain areas in the county in a high-risk flood zone for the first time, is scheduled for sometime this summer.

“If you own property in Gloucester that may be at flood risk, you will receive an informational postcard in the mail,” said county spokesperson Christi Lewis. “You will want to check your current flood risk on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated coastal flood insurance rate maps.” 

As a result of the updates, some properties in Gloucester may, for the first time, be included in a high-risk flood zone, known as the Special Flood Hazard Area or SFHA, Lewis said. This may result in mandatory purchase of flood insurance for those pr...