WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that it will not proceed with the appeals period for preliminary flood maps covering York and Cumberland Counties until an independent, third party called a Scientific Resolution Panel (SRP) reviews competing methodology that towns in Maine have offered as providing more accurate flood maps.

The SRP is reviewing methodology after FEMA received a data submission for Plymouth County, Massachusetts that utilized methodology outside of FEMA guidelines. The methodology used to create that data submission was also used in York and Cumberland Counties. Senator King and many others have called on the agency to give appropriate weight to data collected pursuant to methodologies which FEMA accepts for similarly-situated neighboring communities. Therefore, the findings of the SRP related to Plymouth County will also determine the path forward for York and Cumberland Counties.

“It’s critical that these flood maps accurately reflect the actual risk associated with properties. Otherwise, hundreds of Mainers could confront skyrocketing premiums for no legitimate reason,” Senator King said. “FEMA made a wise decision not to move forward with the appeals process until the methodology and resulting data can be verified as accurate, and I am pleased to see the agency employ an independent third-party council to help achieve that.” 

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