FEMA Evaluation Shows BA Creek's Floodplain Is Shrinking

It's a creek that overflowed years ago, and now a new FEMA evaluation says the creek's floodplain is actually shrinking.

The base flood elevation hasn't increased in at least forty years. That means many homeowners who have had expensive flood insurance for years could soon be able to cancel it.

A dozen maps, and if your home is on one you're affected.

FEMA laid out the changes to the Broken Arrow Creek floodplain. The blue on the maps showed the floodplain and the green showed where there used to be a floodplain.

The revisions have twice as much land being taken out of the floodplain as is being added in.

Gavin Brady with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, said, "Changes over time, changes in topography, better modeling, all those things kind of contribute to that effect."

Homeowners want out of the floodplain, but the revisions to David Sconyers' land has him stuck in limbo.

"Half is in, half is out. Obviously, my slab is level, so I question how you can have half in and half out," he said.

Sconyers said his house has never flooded, even when the creek overflowed in 2008, and now he wants all out.

"I would not have to have flood insurance. I mean, I could still buy flood insurance, but out of the floodplain, you're talking a couple hundred bucks, not a thousand bucks," Sconyers said.

Brady said the changes, paid for by FEMA, are at least forty years overdue, and this is just one of eight northeastern Oklahoma floodplains being revised.

"We're just trying to identify all the risks that are associated with the watershed and make sure people are aware of them and become resilient. That's our main goal here," Brady said.

FEMA wants people living near Broken Arrow Creek to look at those maps and give feedback. The maps are at Broken Arrow city hall and will soon be online.

It could take an additional two years before the changes are officially made.