County, state and federal officials are working to reduce the effects of severe weather and natural disasters. On January 31, 2025, FEMA released a preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Wayne County, for the public to see and comment on. The new map gives updated information about the community’s flood risk. It will be used to find areas where flood insurance coverage may be required. The current maps for Wayne County (paper, not digital) were developed in the 1980s. Some areas of the preliminary FIRM show major flood hazard changes from the maps that are in effect now.
FEMA, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Wayne County officials invite residents to learn how they may be affected and what they can do to protect themselves. The Flood Risk and Insurance Open Houses will be held in-person on:
Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 3 to 7 pm at the Newark Public Library, 121 High St. Newark and
Thursday, June 5, 2025 from 4 to 7 pm in the Adult Activity Center at Casey Park, 6551 Knickerbocker Rd., Ontario
The Open Houses will not have a formal presentation. Residents can join at any time between 3 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday or 4 and 7 p.m. on Thursday. They can stay for any length of time. At these events, residents will be able to talk one-on-one with FEMA representatives. They can learn more about their flood risk and potential changes to their flood insurance rates and requirements. If you already have flood insurance, please bring a copy of your declaration page. Residents can also see preliminary versions of the FIRM and the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report here. They can use the Old Paper Effective vs. New Digital Preliminary Data Viewer to compare the new preliminary map to the older maps.
The last FIRMs for Wayne County were paper maps from the 1980s. The new FIRM will be online, which will make them accessible to more residents. It will also help community members think about how to protect themselves from future flood events. The map and the FIS report are the basis for each community’s floodplain management regulations.
Due to these map changes, some properties in Wayne County may no longer be in the high-risk flood zone. This is known as the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). If a building is outside the SFHA on the new FIRM, flood insurance is no longer federally required. However, it is still recommended for both homeowners and renters.
Some properties will be included the SFHA for the first time. Those owners may need to buy flood insurance. Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States. Community members should know their current flood risk. This can help them use the tools and programs available to make their property and community safer.
Would you like to request a reasonable accommodation (sign language, real-time captioning or other)? Please email Michael.Foley3@fema.dhs.gov or FEMA-CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov. You may also call FEMA’s Civil Rights Resource Line at 833-285-7448.
To learn more or to see the flood maps, visit FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov. At floodsmart.gov, you can learn about flood insurance. You may also contact a map specialist at the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) at 877-336-2627 or FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.
For Open House questions, email our outreach lead, Rachel Wagner, at rachel.wagner@associates.fema.dhs.gov.