America in the Balance recently interviewed two Oklahomans about their encounters with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration, aka the Mob), local officials and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB).
One successfully rebuffed the officials; the other was not so successful.
The issue? The designation of their (non-flooding) property as being in a flood zone, resulting in the devaluation of the property; limitations on development of the land; the devaluation of the land as collateral; negatively impacting the ability to sell their property; and the use of coercive methods to force the purchase of flood insurance.
In listening to the accounts of these two separate incidents, it appears that the maps being used to determine the flood zone designation are rather whimsical: it all depends on which map the agent is using, and whether you want to be designated as flood zone or not. The gentleman in the township of Skiatook, OK was actually presented with 3 different maps over the course of three days. He resisted the OWRB/FEMA efforts and they eventually backed down.
This was not the case in Ramona, OK.
There, a family with 40 acres of property was surprised to find that their property was now designated as being ‘Zone A High Risk’ flood zone. The property has been in their family since 1946, has never flooded, and the land is actually mapped as upland agriculture. The result of the ‘Zone A High Risk’ flood zone designation has been a 50% decrease in the appraised value of their property.
FEMA and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board are using covert means to steal property in Oklahoma. FEMA and the OWRB is stealing home.
Listen to their stories on America in the Balance on Truth in Focus internet radio here. (Link: http://www.truthinfocus.org/radio/america_in_the_balance.php)
For an excellent analysis of the FEMA/Oklahoma Water Resources Board activities and ties to sustainable development see article below. (From a post on Axxiom For Liberty.)
Oklahoma Water Resources Board/FEMA Flood Map Follies
By Kaye Beach
August 24, 2011
America in the Balance, an internet radio program hosted by Amanda Teegarden (Exec. Director, OK-SAFE, Inc.) & Don Wyatt (Tulsa 912) did a very interesting show on the FEMA Flood mapping taking place in our state last Sunday.
Their two guests David McClain and Margaret Snow shared their experiences with FEMA and the new floodplain maps that are being drawn up in Oklahoma.
The two are looking for other Oklahomans who have had a similar experience with FEMA and their new maps. OK. Attorney General Scott Pruitt has agreed to take a look at documented instances of questionable FEMA flood re-designations. (Contact information can be found at the end of this article.)
These flood maps produced by FEMA will indicate which property owners must purchase flood insurance. Development is discouraged in the designated zones and building or development in the floodplains is often highly regulated
If you have had your property’s flood designation changed or had an encounter with FEMA or the Oklahoma Water Resources Board regarding floodplain designation, you will be interested in these two stories.
(Listen to the archived show here or read the summary I have written from the radio show interviews.)
Skiatook Township, David McLain
David McLain, who helps out at Immanuel Baptist Church in Skiatook tells Amanda and Don that a few weeks ago he noticed some officials taking measurements on his property. David approached the two gentlemen to find out what they were doing. The two identified themselves as being with FEMA and informed Mr. McClain that they were working on adjusting floodplain designations. One of the agents, Gavin Brady, although he introduced himself as being with FEMA, the business card he handed to David showed him as being with the Oklahoma Water Resource Board. The other agent is reported to be Matthew Rollins.
Curious as to why the man is representing both FEMA and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, I did a little searching and found that the OWRB is under a cooperative agreement with FEMA and is the coordinating state agency for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for the state of Oklahoma. link
Map Modernization
The OWRB website explains that this is a “Map Modernization” effort;
“Many of the nation’s flood hazard maps are outdated and no longer realistically depict the true flood risk. As a result, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is conducting a multi-year effort, the Map Modernization Program, to update these maps and present them in a more reliable digital format that is easily accessible to local and state floodplain officials” link
(For more about the FEMA/ Oklahoma Map Modernization program, click here.) (Rest of Kaye Beach article here.)
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If you have had your non-flooding property (in Oklahoma) designated as flood zone/flood plain by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, FEMA (or FIMA), the Attorney General of Oklahoma may be interested in your situation.
Two people have agreed to be the contact persons for this effort. Please have your paperwork together and organized, including any notes you may have taken about your conversations with OWRB, FEMA, or city officials. Get names, titles, and contact information from everyone you have spoken with regarding this flood zone designation. Include any before and after property assessments you may have.
- Northeast Oklahoma contact: Margaret Snow, email: msnow14@netzero.net – this area includes Washington County, Rogers, etc.
- Rest of Oklahoma: Keith Shankle, email: kshankle@gmail.com
Oklahoma County map link is here.
This is an important issue – this re-mapping is the plundering of private property.
OK-SAFE, Inc. Blog 