Mount Carmel Borough has a much smaller floodplain and residents can expect to see significantly reduced flood insurance premiums as a result.
Mount Carmel Borough in partnership with SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is holding a public meeting to educate residents and businesses on how they can reduce their flood insurance bills, including how to give this information to their banks and insurance companies so they can realize the savings.
The flood insurance savings meeting will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Mount Carmel Area High School, 600 W. Fifth St., Mount Carmel. There will be light refreshments.
If interested, attendees are to RSVP by Oct. 1 to SEDA-COG’s Liz Herman at eherman@seda-cog.org or 570-524-4491.
Teri Provost, director of SEDA-COG’s Flood Resiliency program, said these savings are significant on the individual and community levels.
“This is a tremendous change for the borough. Not only can homeowners realize significant savings on their flood insurance premiums, but these savings can translate into a revitalized community with more salable homes and more potential local investment,” Provost said.
This is possible because of the $14.5 million Shamokin Creek Flood Risk Management Project that SEDA-COG managed in 2016. The rebuilt channel protects 108 homes from flooding through a 15-block area of Shamokin Creek that runs through Mount Carmel Borough. Erosion and age had caused the stone retaining wall along the creek to crumble, and sediment build-up caused the creek bed to become shallow, blocking the flow of water and causing it to back up and flood the homes along the creek.
Elimination of the flood hazard involved construction of a concrete and earthen channel, along with an earthen levee, improvements to storm drainage and sanitary sewer systems, streambank stabilization, installation of new bridges at Walnut, Chestnut, Hickory, Pine and Vine streets, and reconstruction of Water and Turnpike streets.
Prior to this project, this area was in the floodplain. Now, the rebuilt channel mitigates that risk for the borough.
Because of this, a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) will become effective Oct. 7 and will revise the National Flood Insurance Program map, officially removing much of the borough from the floodplain. Mount Carmel Borough funded the LOMR, investing about $30,000.