City announces FEMA remapping removed 454 structures from flood zone; officials highlight insurance savings

City officials told the Birmingham City Council that a FEMA remapping initiative for the Locust Fork watershed removed 454 structures from the special hazard area and that the city has moved to Class 5 in the Community Rating System.

Denise Bell of Plant Engineering & Permits briefed council members on the Locust Fork Watershed Risk Map Initiative and said the remapping work will relieve flood insurance burdens for many homeowners. "Four‑fifty‑four structures were actually removed from the special hazard area," Bell said. She said that over the typical 30‑year mortgage life the reduced premiums could translate into combined savings measured in the low millions for affected homeowners.

Bell also said the city had achieved CRS Class 5 — a rating she described as the only Class 5 community in Alabama — and that the rating places Birmingham in the top national percentiles for floodplain management performance. She told councilors that the rating and remapping together would lower premiums for qualifying owners and make some previously unbuildable parcels more developable, while cautioning that mortgage companies ultimately control whether a property owner must carry flood insurance.

Council members asked practical follow‑up questions about the risk of foregoing low‑cost insurance and whether residents that were removed from the flood plain should nevertheless maintain a low‑cost flood policy. Staff said they will notify property owners by mail and advise residents how to work with their mortgage companies.

Next steps: PEP said it would send individual notice by U.S. mail to property owners removed from the special hazard area and provide guidance about engaging mortgage companies and retaining optional low‑cost flood coverage.