New federal flood maps drawn by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that incorporate Global Warming sea level rise predictions pose a significant challenge to Chelsea, a city with only a few square miles of land. These maps would expand flood zones dramatically, bringing entirely new areas under federal flood designation and requiring property owners to obtain flood insurance where none was previously mandated.
This week, Chelsea joined Boston, Revere and Winthrop in launching a formal appeal of the flood maps. The consequences are substantial: commercial and residential property owners in areas like Everett Avenue, the adjacent industrial zone, and portions of Eastern Avenue and Marginal Street would face expensive new flood insurance requirements. Existing flood zone properties would see their insurance costs rise. In Revere and Winthrop, some neighborhoods would become so economically burdened that residents might be forced to elevate their homes on stilts or abandon coastal areas entirely.
Across the United States, this represents a quiet but urgent crisis for coastal communities. “fblikebutton_button” City Manager Jay Ash stated: “The final decision on flood maps is high stakes, with the potential of insurance costs skyrocketing for those who are outside of a flood plain now, but who could be placed into a flood plain as a result of the new federal maps. We’ve seen how sea level rises and weather pattern changes, all results of global warming, are impacting communities along sea coasts. Chelsea could be impacted, either directly by a weather event or indirectly through insurance cost increases. This is concerning and a reason why we continue to work with others to seek a better understanding of the issues and to determine if an appeal of the maps is warranted.”
City Planner John DePriest, who recently discussed this matter with City Councillor Leo Robinson at an MIT symposium, emphasized another threat: development costs. “There is also a potential for an increase in development costs as new buildings will have to conform to flood zone construction standards,” he explained. “We are concerned about the potential impact on future development. The new draft floodplain maps, which are based on sea-level rise, show an increase in flooding in parts of the community that do not currently flood, including large parts of our industrial districts. Other, larger cities may have an opportunity to absorb some of the extra flooding due to their geographical size, and direct growth to areas outside the floodplain. Chelsea, which is only two square miles in size, does not have that opportunity.”
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) coordinated efforts among the three communities to align with Boston’s ongoing initiative. MAPC Coordinator Cammy Peterson facilitated this coordination and helped select a consulting firm to analyze the situation and potentially prepare an appeal. “One advantage is Wood Hole Group was already working with Boston on the same process and within Suffolk County,” Peterson noted. “So now, the same group is working with all four Suffolk County communities and they have all decided appeals would make sense.” The four communities ultimately contracted with Woods Hole Group of Cape Cod.
According to Peterson, the next phase involves organizing a community officials workshop with FEMA to facilitate broader discussion and understanding of the maps and their implications. “Because of the potential impact of the new flood designations, we need to make sure that the methodology used to draw the flood lines is appropriate and accurately identifies potential flood areas,” DePriest added. “We have hired a consultant to work with us to review the new maps and the method in which they were developed, and to help us prepare an appeal if one is warranted.”
The National Flood Insurance Program began in 1968, offering coastal homeowners federally subsidized rates based on risk-ordered maps. In 2012, however, Congress enacted reforms to address the program’s substantial debt. The legislation eliminated subsidies and mandated new FEMA maps incorporating Global Warming models. Every member of the state’s Congressional Delegation supported the bill, including Chelsea’s Congressman Michael Capuano.
The reform triggered significant backlash, particularly from Greater New Orleans and other coastal areas nationwide. In Greater Boston, House Speaker Bob DeLeo mounted an intensive lobbying campaign in Washington, D.C. to reverse the 2012 law. In March, President Barack Obama signed the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act, which restored grandfathering provisions and capped rate increases but continued authorizing flood mapping based on sea level rise predictions. This left Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop and Boston vulnerable to new flood zone designations.
Local officials anticipate receiving preliminary appeal reports by August.