Jamie Lambert is worried about flooding. But it’s notnecessarily the water that troubles him.

Every month when Lambert whips out his checkbook and makes apayment to the mortgage company for his home at 2368 Lake LincolnRoad, he forks over an additional $200 payment for generic floodinsurance the bank has mandated for his home because he lives in aflood plain. But the house was never considered to be in a floodzone until the Federal Emergency Management Agency released newflood maps of Lincoln County in 2009, a change brought on in theaftermath of flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina in2005.

“When we bought the house, part of the land was in a flood zone butthe house was not,” Lambert said. “Now, with the new maps, we’re inthe flood plain. And I haven’t moved my house.”

But the Lamberts and other Lincoln County citizens who live inflood plains could have the option of buying cheap insurance backedby the federal government as soon as summer 2011, an option thatwould reduce annual flood insurance costs to around $300. It alldepends on the actions supervisors take in the next sixmonths.

Supervisors on Monday passed a resolution signaling their intent tojoin FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, a membership-basedprogram that allows for the purchase of cheap, government-backedflood insurance and makes participating local governments eligiblefor certain grants and disaster reimbursements. The resolutioncould lead to the county’s membership in NFIP in three to sixmonths, pending approval of new county ordinances andpersonnel.

Lincoln County is one of two counties in Mississippi that are notmembers of NFIP, and FEMA officials have sought the county’smembership for years. Supervisors have refused to join the programin the past because of the land use restrictions it could place onlandowners and extra bureaucracy it could bring to thecourthouse.

County membership in NFIP would require the passage of new countyzoning ordinances that would add steps to the home-buildingprocess. Landowners who live in a flood plain – a relatively smallportion of the county’s population -would have to pay for anelevation shoot to make sure a proposed home site is above theflood level, buy a building permit from the county, submitconstruction plans for review and undergo an engineer’s inspectionto ensure the plans are being followed.

“The only people who would have to get this permit are the peoplewho are in a flood zone,” said county engineer Jeff Dungan. “Forpeople who aren’t, it’s no problem.”

The floor of a new home or building would have to be above theflood level – the distance above that level, whether it’s 1 foot or1 inch, would determine the insurance premium, Dungan said.

Homes built on land that was not considered a flood plain beforethe drafting of the new FEMA maps would not be affected “as is,”said county attorney Bob Allen.

“If you try to sell it, it does. If you try to get a mortgage, itdoes,” he said. “The land is not grandfathered in forevermore.”

Power companies would be unable to run electricity to homes withoutthe permit, and building without the permit – even for shacks,garages or deer camps – would be against the ordinance. Violatorscaught in a federal audit could be fined by FEMA.

Additionally, supervisors would have to designate an NFIPcoordinator to issue permits and review submissions.

Despite supervisors’ willingness to test the waters with Monday’sresolution, the prospect of joining NFIP is not yetguaranteed.

“It’s just our intent,” said Board President Doug Moak. “If wedon’t agree with the ordinance, we can still pull the plug onit.”

Despite the passage of the resolution on a vote of 4-1, supervisorsseem less than enthusiastic about NFIP. All are worried aboutplacing more restrictions on their citizens and federal reach tothe local level – especially considering local officials had noinput on FEMA’s new flood maps, which are the standard used bybanks and insurance companies.

“We’re being held hostage,” said District Three Supervisor NolanWilliamson, the only supervisor to vote against NFIP membership.”People are voting for less government, and here we are going aftermore.”

District Two Supervisor Bobby Watts agreed.

“They’ve given all the maps to our banks and insurance companies,and they’re one step ahead of us,” he said of FEMA. “They’ve goteverybody in a barrel, and they can’t get out.”

Watts said the Lamberts and other families living in the newlydeclared flood plains in District Two are protected from floodingby the manmade lakes of the Little Bahalia watershed.

“People in Washington, D.C. have never been down here, don’t knowthe creeks, don’t know the maps,” Watts said. “People donated moneyjust to keep Little Bahalia from flooding.”

Joining NFIP is a big step for supervisors to take with relativelysmall numbers of the population living in flood plains.

According to FEMA’s maps, 53.87 square miles of Lincoln County -about 9.1 percent – lie within a flood plain. Bear Creek, BigCreek, West Topisaw Creek and the Bogue Chitto River and its manystreams make up the four primary flood plains. It is unclear howmany of the county’s approximately 34,000 citizens live in thoseareas.

Lincoln County Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop tried to explainsupervisors’ quandary over NFIP and stressed that the enactingresolutions must be “carefully written.”

“I don’t think this board wants to wrap tentacles around the peopleof Lincoln County, but at the same time, there are people out therewho can be helped by this,” he said. “I don’t think this boardwants anything to do with an ordinance that affects people itdoesn’t need to affect.”