Brookhaven annexation residents are now a little more protectedin case of a flood disaster in the Brookhaven area.

Director of Public Works Steve Moreton, who also serves as thecity Flood Plain manager, said Brookhaven has been in the NationalFlood Insurance Program since 1977. This means that engineersmeasured elevations within the city limits and established floodlimits and submitted them to the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency, which oversees national flood insurance programs.

NFIP is a federal program enabling property owners inparticipating communities to purchase insurance as protectionagainst flood losses in exchange for state and community floodplainmanagement regulations that reduce future flood damages. Moretonsaid the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency also oversees someflood guidelines.

After the annexation, people who were previously not in theNational Flood Insurance Program are now included, meaning that ifthey live in a flood plain, they are covered.

MEMA’s Flood Plain Management Specialist Angela Trotter saidBrookhaven had to adopt a resolution to take county parts into thecity, and that the resolution is currently sitting on her desk.

“Once the maps are done, it’ll be a part of the covered area,”she said.

Moreton said all the maps are lacking at this time is elevationsin the annexation area. He said MEMA will also establish the gridsfor the maps.

Moreton said flood plains were one of his main concerns duringthe annexation, along with zoning.

“We’re far along with the zoning, but flood plains andelevations were a concern,” he said. “I didn’t know how much theengineering would cost, and if the feds will help us with that,that’s great.”

Elevation is established, Moreton said, by finding watermarks onthings such as trees and bridges, after which point buildingpermits can only be given for things to be built a foot above floodelevation.

“There are certificates they have to fill out, and they have aengineer or a registered surveyor do a site plan and certify thefinished floor elevation,” he said.

Moreton said if someone builds below the elevation requirements,there is a high likelihood that any incident of flood damage wouldnot be covered.

“If we do, that the national flood insurance probably wouldn’tcover it,” he said.

Currently, even homes that are not in the flood plain areas arerequired to build at least 6 inches above the curb. The precautionis not just for flood damage prevention purposes, but also forsewage and water issues.

“We want to make sure also that your sewage can get to the thestreet,” he said.

Moreton said MEMA will monitor city files to make certainthey’re done correctly.

“They’ll be down here to check files and things in a few months,and we welcome that,” he said. “We’d like any help we can get withthe stumbling blocks we’ve encountered along the way.”

And flood insurance is becoming more and more important tohomeowners in today’s world, Moreton said, as some lending agencieswon’t even finance a home unless it has flood insurance on it.

“Most of them require you to have flood insurance at leastthrough duration of the loan,” he said.

Trotter said to her knowledge a lot of mortgage companies willalso require the flood insurance even if the home is not in a floodplain. She said the best way for a homeowner to find out aboutflood insurance if they don’t already have it is to contact theirlocal insurance agency.