WAILUKU, Maui — The County of Maui Department of Planning has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has recently completed a preliminary update of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) for Maui County.

When finalized in October, the revised flood maps will affect flood insurance rates for property owners in the areas of Waikapu Stream, Kamaole Gulch in South Maui and Iao Stream.

To assist property owners, the Department of Planning is coordinating an informational session from 3-8 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Velma McWayne Community Center in Wailuku. Residents and businesses in the affected areas will be receiving a notice in the mail about the Dec. 11 informational meeting.

County planning staff will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and personnel from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Property owners in the affected areas are encouraged to stop by to view the preliminary revised flood maps, check their property's risk status, inquire about flood insurance, and learn about the FEMA appeal process. The deadline to appeal to FEMA is Dec. 29.

Property owners in affected areas are also advised to learn about the possibility of paying lower insurance premiums by purchasing flood insurance prior to their property's re-classification to a higher flood risk.

The last revision to the flood maps in Maui County was completed in 1981. The newly released preliminary revised maps are part of a national FEMA effort to modernize the nation's aging flood maps to reflect the most current flood risks and areas of recent growth.

The updated, digital maps will provide online access to a property's flood risk and allow community planners, engineers, builders and others to determine where and how new structures and developments should be built. The new maps were developed after an extensive, multiyear study of the county's floodplains using state-of-the-art mapping technology and risk-modeling techniques. The proposed revised maps may be viewed at http://gis.hawaiinfip.org/fhat/.

"Water flow and drainage patterns have changed dramatically in Maui County over the last 20 years, which affects the likelihood of flooding in certain areas," said Francis Cerizo, County of Maui Floodplain Manager with the Department of Planning. "The proposed FEMA map revisions will provide homeowners and potential home buyers with a more accurate and realistic view of a property's flood risk."

"We're concerned that property owners in these areas may not have noticed earlier published announcements issued by FEMA," said Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin.

"There is an opportunity for property owners to save money by securing flood insurance now and so it's important to understand if they are affected by the new federal maps. The drop-in informational session is intended to help property owners understand the situation and take steps early," Martin said.

For more information on the drop-in session or on the proposed FEMA map changes, contact Cerizo or Carolyn Cortez at the County of Maui Department of Planning at 808 270-7735.