Dozens of Mequon residents are on the hook for flood insurance that city leaders now believe they shouldn't have to pay.When the Federal Emergency Managment Agency's new floodplain maps went into effect last year, the total area expanded. That resulted in dozens of properties in Mequon near the Milwaukee River being added to the floodplain. Residents with mortgages, like Mike Spanjar, were given an ultimatum to either buy flood insurance or move out."On the low end, the flood insurance is $1,300," Spanjar said. "On the high endthe highest quote I got was $3,900 per year." Spanjar is currently spending the money for the insurance. He said the process for removing his property from the floodplain maps is tedious and cumbersome.It's a sentiment echoed by many homeowners in the same situation. Andy Moriarty's backyard backs up to the Milwaukee River. Watch how Mequon residents fighting against flood insurance costs: Mequon residents fighting against increased insurance costs due to floodplain expansionWhen he bought the home seven years ago with his family, he was assured the home itself was not in the floodplain. He's now paying $300 per month on flood insurance."It's just frustrating," Moriarty said. "It feels like we are being robbed monthly." The City of Mequon is trying to help the affected residents. Mayor Andrew Nerbun said there was an error in the data used to draw the maps. Based on the city's independent survey completed this month, the flow rate of the Milwaukee River was overstated by a factor of two."Our bigger fear is there's residents who have been paying flood insurance for nearly 40 years that likely never would have been required," Nerbun said.Cities like Mequon can petition to have the maps altered through a Letter of Map Revision (or LOMR). That is also a time-consuming and expensive process. Mequon is currently exploring ways to file such a letter, believing the flood level should be about three feet lower. The city's contractor says between 100 and 300 homes could be positively impacted if the maps are changed.FEMA's new maps were approved and went into effect in 2024 after a lengthy approval process, according to an agency spokesperson. "Updating the nations flood maps is a collaborative, multi-year effort between FEMA, state and local partners that adheres to a standard adoption process," the statement said. "For the city of Mequon, this effort spanned more than a decade, and FEMA regularly engaged local officials and community members throughout. Hey Alex, Thank you for reaching out. We received your inquiry from our colleagues in DC. This statement below can be attributed to a FEMA Spokesperson. Updating the nations flood maps is a collaborative, multi-year effort between FEMA, state and local partners that adheres to a standard adoption process. For the city of Mequon, this effort spanned more than a decade, and FEMA regularly engaged local officials and community members throughout. In 2022, FEMA held a Community Coordination and Outreach meeting with local officials and a Flood Risk Open House for residents to view the maps and provide feedback. This was followed by a statutory 90-day appeal and comment period to allow municipalities the opportunity to provide new information and/or challenge any determinations. Mequons appeal and comment period began in December 2022 and no submissions were received from city officials. The maps were then finalized in July 2024. FEMA is always willing to work with any community that wants to update their flood hazard maps with the best available flood risk data. The city of Mequon now has the option to seek a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), which could be used to officially revise the flood map to show changes to floodplains, regulatory floodways or flood elevations. If a LOMR is submitted, FEMA will be ready to work with state and local officials to review that data. Learn more about the process to update flood maps by visiting <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/tools-resources/risk-map/project-lifecycle__;!!FJkDyvWmnr4!figM74MVpxr1LU5XnfbNdtZ3w1d5cbeEmgCzLP3kGQK80PFKiCijxkhjSRt13GiLbsFeqGSvlUCzk3DZIVHQPdpNETIgH2a1$">Lifecycle of a Risk MAP Project | FEMA.gov [fema.gov]</a> and find more about the LOMR process here: <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/change-your-flood-zone/lomr-clomr__;!!FJkDyvWmnr4!figM74MVpxr1LU5XnfbNdtZ3w1d5cbeEmgCzLP3kGQK80PFKiCijxkhjSRt13GiLbsFeqGSvlUCzk3DZIVHQPdpNETsy2e7e$">https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/change-your-flood-zone/lomr-clomr [fema.gov]</a>. All the best, FEMA Region 5 News Desk Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less