Cass and Van Buren County residents invited to flood plan open house

CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Michigan, Cass County, and Van Buren County community officials invite residents to a flood plan open house on Sept. 10 in Cassopolis.

Local, state, and federal officials say they're working to reduce the effects of severe weather and natural disasters.

At this event, officials will answer residents' questions about flood risk and flood insurance after the release of the preliminary flood maps.

The open house will take place at the Board of Commissioners Chambers at 120 N. Broadway St. in Cassopolis from 5 to 7 p.m.

Officials say the open house will not have a formal presentation.

Experts will be there to explain floodplain development regulations and the mapping process.

Residents will be able to meet with experts one-on-one to look at their own addresses on the new maps and learn about their specific risks.

Residents will also learn ways to help prevent flood loss.

The updated maps for Cass County will highlight several streams and flooding sources.

Officials say these updates encompass 25 Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panels and cover 21 communities, including 15 townships, four villages, and two cities.

The updated maps for Van Buren County will also highlight several streams and flooding sources.

These updates encompass 8 Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panels and cover 13 communities, including 10 townships, and three villages.

Officials say once in effect, the maps will inform flood insurance rates and local floodplain management rules adopted under the National Flood Insurance Program.

FEMA says public officials should use the maps to help plan and prepare communities to quickly respond to and recover from future events.