Flood of Problems

FEMA's flood impact evaluation for Frankfort last year didn't take into account a flood wall built a decade earlier. The result was much higher than expected insurance rates for property owners in the area protected. When informed of the omission, FEMA told Frankfort the flood wall would need to be recertified before they'd count it. The flood wall is inspected annually anyway, by the Corps of Engineers, but that's not good enough. The city has to pay a quarter of a million dollars for an additional inspection before FEMA will admit it's there, and approve the people and businesses in the area having lower insurance rates.

The larger, much older flood wall protecting north Frankfort doesn't need this recertification. Apparently because FEMA has long acknowledged that it actually exits.