NORTH PORT, Fla. — City leaders are updating a plan to manage flooding in North Port after new guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
North Port's Floodplain Management Plan helps the city mitigate hazards that could make flooding worse, according to Matt Clemens, the city's floodplain administrator. That includes things like tornadoes, fires, and the failure of a water control structure inside the city.
"We're trying to assess every hazard," Clemens said. "Keep our eyes as wide open as we can when it comes to that."
North Port's floodplain is based on FEMA Coastal Risk Flood Insurance Rate Maps maps. Last year, FEMA provided North Port with updated maps for about half the city, Clemens said.
Watch: Woman living in North Port's floodplain describes challenge of living there:
FEMA reclassified some areas near Wellen Park and the Myakka River from minimal flood hazard zones to an AE flood zone, Clemens said. An AE flood zone is a high risk area with a 1% annual chance of a 100-year flood, according to the city's website.
"That was a big change right there," Clemens said.
Both North Port and Sarasota County offer interactive flood zone maps where you can type in your address. Almost anywhere in North Port near a body of water is likely considered some type of flood zone, Clemens said.
The floodplain management plan provides a course of action. It helps the city respond to things that could make flooding worse, Clemens said. The plan was last updated in 2021 and adopted in 2022, Clemens said. Almost every city department is part of the committee drafting a new one.
"We try to incorporate everyone that would have any input or any help following a disaster," Clemens said.
Stefan Kalev, the city's natural resources manger, attended the meeting. He pointed out that North Port could face more extreme heat events in the future. Kalev suggested that be included in the updated plan.
This comes as some homeowners have complained about recurring flooding on their street. That's partly because of how the city was built.
North Port's streets and ditches were designed to be a stormwater drainage system, Clemens said, funneling water into nearby creeks.
"At this point it would be close to impossible to fix without redoing the whole city from, you know, the northern portion all the way down," Clemens said during the meeting. "That's what we're left with."
Clemens cautioned homeowners to be patient. He said water will eventually clear from streets after a big storm.
The planning committee's next meeting will examine known problems in the city, Clemens said. It will also discuss future challenges, including how development could impact the area's watershed.
"When it comes to an emergency event, there's just no possible way to predict the future or what's going to happen," Clemens said.
