Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) fired off a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today challenging the agency’s proposed Flood Insurance Rate Map for portions of the City of Buffalo.

“This is yet another example of the flawed FEMA flood map program forcing local residents to pay into a system that they will never benefit from,” said Congressman Higgins. “They are wrong, we have the data to prove it and we are going to fight it.”

FEMA is in the process of updating the Nation's flood maps.  The proposed maps place portions of the Old First Ward, Cobblestone District and Peace Bridge plaza in the 100 year floodplain.  

In his letter, Congressman Higgins uses data to justify problems with the revised map for portions of Buffalo.  For the Old First Ward and Cobblestone District, Higgins cites a recent occurrence in 2008 when Lake Erie actually reached 100-year flood levels, noting that the inundation predicted in the maps did not occur.  In the case of the Peace Bridge Plaza, the Congressman says in his letter, “Clearly, whoever made this determination had never set foot on the ground there, as the notion of a flood on the top of a substantial cliff defies common sense.”  

Congressman Higgins has been vocal in his opposition to the flood insurance program.  Of the 34 billion which has been paid into the National Flood Insurance Program over the past thirty years, $15 billion has gone to Louisiana, despite the fact that Louisiana has paid less than $3 billion into the program. Below is a history of Higgins’ advocacy to remove Western New York neighborhoods from the FEMA flood zone map:

6-06: In June, 2006, Congressman Higgins’ office uncovered a 1972 US Army Corps of Engineers study which completely undermined the scientific basis of FEMA’s claim that the subject neighborhoods were in a 100-year floodplain.  

6-16-06: Congressman Higgins sends a letter to FEMA Director Requesting flood insurance rate map changes in Buffalo, New York.

6-26-06:  Congressman Brian Higgins announces plan to seek to remove the City of Buffalo from mandatory involvement in the National Flood Insurance Program.

6-27-06: Congressman Brian Higgins votes against, H.R. 4973, the Flood Insurance Reform bill.  

11-06: Congressman Higgins asks NY Governor to use FEMA mitigation funds to support dredging of Smokes Creek in Lackawanna.

6-07: In a telephone call, Congressman Higgins’ office advocated for the US Army Corps of Engineers to allow dredging of Smokes Creek in Lackawanna, NY to provide flood mitigation

10-16-07:  Congressman Brian Higgins announces that FEMA has redrawn flood zone maps resulting in an approximately 90% reduction in flood plain size for the City of Buffalo.  

10-30-07: Upon learning that FEMA preliminarily included the Old First Ward and other neighborhoods along the Buffalo River in the 100-year flood plain for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the Congressman’s office immediately contacts FEMA’s Region II office in New York City to express th e Congressman’s serious concerns with this proposal. Congressman Higgins’ office was working with FEMA for two weeks prior to advocate for the exclusion of these neighborhoods from the flood plain.  Again and again the Congressman’s office was assured that a new map would be presented that would more closely resemble the 1999 map, effectively taking these areas back out of the flood zone.  The newest map released actually makes the flood plain designation worse for residents in the Old First Ward section of Buffalo.  

4-2-08: Congressman Higgins participates in a congressional hearing on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) flood map modernization program, held by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. Higgins tells the Subcommittee and assembled FEMA officials that the flood insurance requirement has created "economic dead zones" in Western New York.  ( release & testimony) ( hearing video)

9-15-08: Congressman Higgins announces FEMA will transition to a revised flood map for the City of Buffalo beginning September 26, 2008.

9-22-08: City of Buffalo signs local law removing 2,768 city properties from the 100-Year Floodway boundary in the City of Buffalo.

9-26-08: FEMA transitions to a revised flood map for the City of Buffalo beginning September 26, 2008.  The new flood map, first proposed by FEMA almost a year ago at the urging of Congressman Higgins, results in an approximately 90% reduction in flood plain size for South Buffalo and Kaisertown in the City of Buffalo.

11-08: Dredging of Smokes Creek in Lackawanna, NY, as requested by Congressman Higgins, is completed.

11-09:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working on analysis and redrawing map in Lackawanna’s Smokes Creek area.  

11-09: Congressman Higgins is working with officials in East Aurora, NY on flood zone issues in Tannery Brook area.