New St. Louis flood maps proposed

ST. LOUIS, June 14 (UPI) -- A proposed flood map for the St. Louis metropolitan region could mean higher building and insurance costs, experts say.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is revising flood-risk assessments amid concerns about the region's aging levee system that extends from Alton, Ill., to Columbia, Ill., the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday.

The maps will undergo about a year-long review process. FEMA plans public meetings on the proposal in July, the newspaper reported.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says pumps, drains, gates and other hardware need replacement.

The upgrades could cost as much as $180 million. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently signed legislation allowing Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties to enact sales taxes of up to a quarter-cent to pay for the improvements.

Steve Nagle, director of community planning with the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, said local officials are getting paper copies of the proposed flood maps.

"We are disappointed that the maps are available only in a paper format and that we won't get a digital version," Nagle said.