PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Starting in December, county development in Charlotte County said new FEMA flood insurance rates mean more than 93% of families who carry coverage will soon have to pay more.
Donna Bailey, the Floodplain Coordinator for Charlotte County Community Development talked about the anticipated rise.
“it's actually 93.3% but it is, it's an enormous amount, it's an enormous increase in homeowners that will face a high insurance rate,” said Bailey.
According to Bailey the new maps and the flood insurance rate changes are not related, merely coincidental.
Bailey said the flood insurance rates went into effect last October for new policies and existing policies were wheeled into the new rates by last April.
On Friday, during a county workshop, Bailey said starting December 15, a new “Coastal “A” Flood Zone” will require more people to start carrying flood insurance.
“About 48% of policyholders will see an increase of up to $10 per month, but again that's $120 a year,” said Bailey.
Bailey says FEMA will also start dictating insurance rates based on how close you are to the water, or as she says, a flood source.
“And as you know, in Charlotte County we have flood sources everywhere,” said Bailey.
Bad news for neighbors who live off a canal in Port Charlotte like Karl Koudelka who said flood insurance is already expensive.
“My flood insurance rates are all the way up to $3400 for the year,” said Koudelka.
On Friday he said his neighborhood never floods.
“I think if we ever flood, okay come and get us…but until then we ought to be grandfathered back because our houses were built to what the code was when they were built,” said Koudelka.
A price other neighbors like E.J Karpach said you have to pay to live in paradise.
“It's one of the perks living here so we will have to pay for it whether it's insurance or what it is,” said Karpach.
A link for the FEMA flood maps can be found by clicking here.
