Services Provided to Citizens
Athens County maintains a GIS website that is easy to use and contains geographic information for the whole county, including the City of Athens. Citizens can check whether a site is located within a 100-year floodplain boundary by zooming to the area of interest and clicking on the 100-year flood zone in the layer box on the right hand side of the page.
Athens City Geographic Data Explorer
*UNDER CONSTRUCTION* ILGARD is currently constructing a GIS website for the City of Athens. The 100-year floodplain boundary will be delineated within the city on GIS by clicking on the Hydro/Special Flood Hazard Area layers.
Flood Warning Systems
Flood watches and warnings for Athens County are generated by the federal agency NOAA, through the Emergency Alert System (EAS). When the Athens County Emergency Communications Office receives an alert from EAS, they contact local officials, schools, newspapers and radio stations via email and FAX. To check if Athens is under a flood watch or warning, one can check NOAA's web site (see above), or any local weather forecasts (OU's Scalia Labs, 91.3 FM WOUB, or other radio or TV stations). Athens County also has Code Red, a wide area rapid notification system, (also known as a reverse-911 system) for emergencies. If evacuations are necessary during a flood event, all residences and businesses within the evacuation area will be rapidly notified by telephone. Please note that to include cell phone information in the Code Red system, you must register the number at www.athens911.com (click on Code Red at the bottom of the side bar, then on the red "Click here to get started" box).
Elevation Certificates
The City of Athens maintains Elevation Certificates for all post-FIRM (Flood Insurance Rate Map) structures and all substantially improved or flood-proofed structures within the city. Currently, these elevation certificates are available only in paper format at the Department of Development, Enforcement and Facilities, Curran Drive, Athens OH, 45701. Please call the Department of Development, Enforcement and Facilities at 740-592-3306 for further information, or to request a copy of an elevation certificate.
Other Map Information Services
The City of Athens Planner will provide the following map information for any property within city limits: whether or not a property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA); in which zone the property is located; and the base flood elevation of the property. Note: Federally regulated lenders are legally responsible for determining if a flood insurance policy is required for a loan. If a "third party vendor" provides map information to decide if a flood insurance policy is required for a loan, the information must be guaranteed. Communities are not considered third party vendors, and the map information provided by the City of Athens is not guaranteed. By providing this service the City of Athens is not assuming the lender's responsibility. Please call Planner, Paul Logue, at 592-3338 for further information, or submit a request for a given address to: plogue@ci.athens.oh.us.
Outreach Services
The Government Channel, Athens' local public access television network, will provide information on aspects of floodplain management (including flood safety, flood insurance, property protection measures, natural and beneficial functions of floodplains, flood warning systems, floodplain development permit requirements, substantial improvement/damage requirements, and drainage system maintenance) through scrolling or public service announcements. In addition, the Athens Public Library, located at Home St., Athens, OH, 45701, has copies of the above information.
Substantial Damage/Improvement Services
"The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires that if the cost of reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvements to a building equals or exceeds 50% of the building's market value, then the building must meet the same construction requirements as a new building. Substantially damaged buildings must also be brought up to the same standards (e.g., a residence damaged so that the cost of repairs equals or exceeds 50% of the building's value before it was damaged must be elevated above the base flood elevation)." (Community Rating System Resource Center, http://training.fema.gov/EMIweb/CRS/330b.htm, #9 on the 10 topics list)
In the City of Athens, substantially damaged/improved buildings must be brought up to the standards listed in the Athens City Code, Flood Damage Prevention chapter. These standards include such requirements as appropriate anchoring; elevation/floodproofing of buildings; ingress/egress; riparian setbacks; specifications for construction materials, utilities, enclosures below the flood protection level, accessory structures, manufactured homes, critical facilities, and subdivision design; limits to fill materials; prohibitions for hazardous material manufacture and storage; and certification of support structures for residential structures. Permits are required for all construction or development within the floodplain, with the exception of routine maintenance. Permits applications can be obtained from the Department of Development, Enforcement and Facilities, 28 Curran Drive, Athens, OH, 45701. Permits can also be downloaded from the Department of Development, Enforcement and Facilities' webpage.
The Department of Development, Enforcement and Facilities for the City of Athens can make a substantial damage/improvement determination for a structure. Please call the City Planner in the Mayor's office at 740-592-3338 for further information, or submit a request for a given address to: plogue@ci.athens.oh.us
