GeoCarta Has Moved

Nov 22, 2005

Update On Voided South Carolina Flood Map

Updating the situation in South Carolina, where U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour threw out a flood map prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which blocked a $1 billion development. The judge has issued her much awaited written ruling. It appears that she found fault with FEMA's process, not their science.

The Centre Daily has details:

Its future has been in flux since earlier this month, when U.S. Circuit Court Judge Margaret Seymour ruled against the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 2001 flood maps. On Friday, Seymour clarified her ruling, throwing out the 2001 maps and reverting to flood lines as they were in 1995.

FEMA, Seymour wrote in her decision, had not properly advertised the changes in a federal directory, and repeatedly " knowing it was false" said it had properly advertised since.

For background on the situation, see my previous post.