16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
Sarasota County will host a series of open houses for citizens to be informed on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) new flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs).
All county property owners are invited to attend one of the public meetings to learn about their own flood risk, view the newly updated FIRMs, and learn how the changes, which go into effect on March 27, may impact individual properties.
These FIRMs will include a Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA) line.
According to a Sarasota County press release, post-storm field visits and laboratory tests throughout coastal flood hazard areas have consistently confirmed that wave heights as low as 1.5 feet can cause significant damage to structures that are constructed without considering coastal hazards.
This LiMWA is the inland limit of the area expected to receive 1.5-foot or greater breaking waves during the 1-percent annual chance flood event.
FEMA’s previous FIRM maps only had two coastal flood zones.
VE Zones, where the flood elevation includes wave heights equal to or greater than 3 feet, and AE Zones, where the floods wave heights less than 3 feet elevation include.
Flood risks change due to construction and development growth, environmental impacts, floodplains widening or shifting and other factors over time.
FEMA’s FIRMs are updated periodically to reflect these changes.
Representatives from Sarasota County, and the cities of Venice, North Port, Sarasota and Longboat Key, will be available during open houses to answer questions. All residents are encouraged to attend one of these informational sessions.
No formal presentations will be given; residents may attend the workshops whenever it is convenient for their schedule.
Public meetings with city and county representatives will be held at the following locations:
An additional online presentation is planned for the following: