It’s hurricane season, and the time to learn about your property’s flood risk is now.Unfortunately, many on the Gulf Coast have already experienced firsthand just how devastating flooding can be.“Pretty much everything in the house. We lost two cars. Mercedes, a Toyota Forerunner. Everything that was in the house, we pretty much lost,” said James Peterson, a Naples resident.Peterson lived through Hurricane Ian.“I lived over in Brookside. We got almost 38 inches of water in our house. Four dogs, 92-year-old mother-in-law, 57-year-old autistic brother. So it was really hard getting everybody out of the house. I broke four ribs trying to get people out of their windows,” Peterson said.FEMA hosted an open house today at the Eva Sugden-Gomez Center at Baker Park. It’s designed to help property owners find out whether they’re in a flood zone and ask questions about flood insurance, mapping changes, and floodplain regulations.City officials, engineers and FEMA representatives set up different stations at the event, offering one-on-one help.While the preliminary flood maps for the City of Naples don’t include any changes this year, FEMA says the meetings are still important for educating the public. Flood risks can shift over time due to development, environmental changes, and watershed conditions.Updating flood maps helps communities plan ahead, and helps property owners know whether they should consider getting flood insurance.By law, federally regulated or insured mortgage lenders are required to obtain flood insurance for buildings located in high-risk flood zones. However, most standard homeowners and renters insurance policies do not cover flood damage.If a homeowner disagrees with their flood zone, FEMA will open a 90-day appeal window after the meetings. During that time, property owners can submit evidence and request a change.Collier County will host its own FEMA meeting at the South Regional Library from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.The final version of the updated flood maps is expected to be released in fall 2026. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.
It’s hurricane season, and the time to learn about your property’s flood risk is now.
Unfortunately, many on the Gulf Coast have already experienced firsthand just how devastating flooding can be.
“Pretty much everything in the house. We lost two cars. Mercedes, a Toyota Forerunner. Everything that was in the house, we pretty much lost,” said James Peterson, a Naples resident.
Peterson lived through Hurricane Ian.
“I lived over in Brookside. We got almost 38 inches of water in our house. Four dogs, 92-year-old mother-in-law, 57-year-old autistic brother. So it was really hard getting everybody out of the house. I broke four ribs trying to get people out of their windows,” Peterson said.
FEMA hosted an open house today at the Eva Sugden-Gomez Center at Baker Park. It’s designed to help property owners find out whether they’re in a flood zone and ask questions about flood insurance, mapping changes, and floodplain regulations.
City officials, engineers and FEMA representatives set up different stations at the event, offering one-on-one help.
While the preliminary flood maps for the City of Naples don’t include any changes this year, FEMA says the meetings are still important for educating the public. Flood risks can shift over time due to development, environmental changes, and watershed conditions.
Updating flood maps helps communities plan ahead, and helps property owners know whether they should consider getting flood insurance.
By law, federally regulated or insured mortgage lenders are required to obtain flood insurance for buildings located in high-risk flood zones. However, most standard homeowners and renters insurance policies do not cover flood damage.
If a homeowner disagrees with their flood zone, FEMA will open a 90-day appeal window after the meetings. During that time, property owners can submit evidence and request a change.
Collier County will host its own FEMA meeting at the South Regional Library from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
The final version of the updated flood maps is expected to be released in fall 2026.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.