HILLSBOROUGH – Is your property located in a flood zone? Will the results of FEMA’s recent flood study impact your level of risk or your insurance rates?

To find out, residents are invited to a Flood Risk Open House on Thursday, March 19, where they can view Somerset County ’s preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps and ask questions of federal, state and local officials.  The event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy, located at 402 Roycefield Road .

“Communities that are being impacted by recent updates to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps include Manville, Franklin , Millstone, Montgomery and Rock Hill ,” said Freeholder Director Mark Caliguire. “I encourage residents and property owners to attend the Open House so they can understand the changes and get all of their questions answered.”

No appointment is necessary; residents can stop by anytime between 4 and 7 p.m.  People are encouraged to bring their elevation certificates or flood insurance policies.

Preliminary flood maps on display at the Open House will provide information about flood hazards where people live and work.  As a result of recent changes, some buildings may, for the first time, be included in a high-risk zone, known as the Special Flood Hazard Area. If these buildings are mortgaged through a Federally-regulated and insured lender, the property owner will be required to carry flood insurance after the new maps go into effect.

Property owners can learn more about their flood risks at www.region2coastal.com. The website offers information about flood insurance, the Risk MAP program and mitigation actions that can be taken to reduce flooding impacts. It also provides an address look-up tool to determine Base Flood Elevations for specific locations.

Communities will be required to adopt FEMA’s maps to continue participating in the National Flood Insurance Program.

For more information about the Open House, contact Stacey Murphy at smurphy@co.somerset.nj.us or (732) 859-3754.