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There are two main flood hazard areas in the Village of Northfield: Middlefork of the North Branch of
the Chicago River Basin and the Skokie River Basin. Flooding in these locations has typically occurred in the
spring or the fall. While flooding in these areas has not created major damage to any properties in several
years, some residents have experienced minor problems associated with heavy rains, i.e., sump pump failures,
sewer backup, etc.
While the Village cannot prevent flooding, we do take several steps to reduce its impact. Before a
project is constructed, Village Staff works with developers to ensure that proposed projects minimize impact
to adjacent properties. A new project must meet the stringent guidelines established in the Village Code, as well
as any regulations established at the state and federal levels.
The Village participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which is a program designed to ensure that the
Village maintains minimum national standards with regard to floodplain regulations.
FEMA Map Modernization |
The current FEMA maps depicting flood hazards are primarily paper maps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the State Water Survey are working jointly to prepare modernized, digital versions of the maps statewide.
In Cook County, the State has released preliminary versions of the maps and held a series of Public Open House meetings in an effort to publicize the maps and provide a forum to provide corrections to the maps. The Village of Northfield has been actively involved in this process in order to ensure that properties are not inadvertently included in mapped flood hazard areas and that the maps are as accurate as possible.
For a detailed explanation of the Map Modernization project, visit
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/mm_main.shtm
To help residents and property owners in the village review the map changes, we have added the two new links at left. The “Revised Floodplain Map Viewer” links to an application for viewing the preliminary maps maintained by the State. The “Interactive Floodplain Map” is an application provided by the Village to enhance the FEMA mapping with approximate property lines and addresses, and allow for comparison of the current and preliminary maps.
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