KELLOGG — City of Kellogg officials believe they may finally be nearing the end of a nine-year effort to review and revise flood maps covering much of western Shoshone County. 

During the city's June council meeting, Mayor Rod Plank said Kellogg is working through the final clarifications requested for its Letter of Map Revision, or LOMR, and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to make a decision in the coming months. 

A Letter of Map Revision, or LOMR, is FEMA's formal process for updating floodplain maps when new engineering, hydrologic or elevation data shows existing flood-risk boundaries may be inaccurate. Communities submit technical studies supporting the proposed changes, and FEMA reviews the information before determining whether official floodplain designations should be revised. 

If approved, the revised flood maps would reduce Kellogg's mapped floodplain from about 2,500 acres to 760 acres and decrease the number of affected parcels from roughly 1,118 to 523, according to city officials. 

Residents currently required to carry flood insurance could see significant savings if FEMA approves the revision. According to the National Flood Insurance Program, the average flood insurance policy in Idaho costs about $784 annually, though premiums vary based on flood risk and property designation. 

Some residents have navigated the costs of flood insurance for years and hope future generations will not face the same burden.

Norma Douglas has lived in her home at the corner of Hill Street and Riverside Avenue in Kellogg for several decades. During that time, she watched the cost of her flood insurance climb from about $1,000 annually to $2,500 by the time she and her husband paid off their home.

"According to their (FEMA's) data, we could potentially have two feet of water in the main living area of our house on Riverside during a 100-year flood," she said. "If that happens, someone better build an ark because we have a basement full of water and Kellogg is experiencing Noah-level flooding."

After paying off their mortgage, the couple was no longer required to carry flood insurance and chose to discontinue the coverage. Douglas said the money once spent on premiums now goes toward vacations.

The path to this point has been a lengthy one, and Plank revisited that history earlier this week. 

"Back in the summer of 2017, a group of local public officials began our efforts to accurately assess the current flood potential and its impact on flood insurance costs for residents," Plank said. "There is a long history of flooding on the South Fork Coeur d'Alene River, but we wanted a clear picture of how the risk may have changed over the years. In addition, there are improved methods of assessing that risk, and we wanted to ensure that the information used is both accurate and current." 

A central component of the city's case is its contention that FEMA's maps overstate flood risk. City officials say FEMA's current maps show a 100-year flood reaching elevations that newer data indicates would require flows closer to a 500-year flood event. 

In 2020, Kellogg, Smelterville and Pinehurst requested updated flood-flow data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after questioning FEMA's floodplain designations. The following year, Kellogg submitted its first LOMR to FEMA using updated hydrologic data. 

To gather that information, the city worked closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, which helped collect and organize data for FEMA's review. 

"The Army Corps of Engineers was extremely helpful in providing current mapping of the river, which led us to our current efforts with FEMA to see if the risk of flood damage has changed," Plank said. "We believe that the current flood maps need to be revised and that these revisions could result in reduced flood insurance costs for residents of our community." 

Since 2021, the city has submitted multiple LOMRs, with FEMA repeatedly requesting additional information. Plank said officials believe the next submission will be the final one before a decision is made. 

"In June of this year, we received a request from FEMA contractors for some specific data from the Elizabeth Park and Hill Street areas," he said. "Our engineers are currently gathering these last bits of information, and it will be submitted to FEMA in the coming weeks. We have been assured that this is the last request for data and that FEMA will make its final decision on our request for flood map revisions once they review this information."