By Caitlin McGlade | The Republic
A new model shows that most Maricopa County properties required to have flood insurance may not face the level of risk determined by local and federal authorities.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more than 35,000 Maricopa County properties have a 1% chance of annual flooding. But a nonprofit that enlisted dozens of scientists, engineers and researchers has reported that fewer than 600 properties are at such risk.
The federal government uses a 1% annual chance to determine whether homeowners must buy flood insurance. That translates to about a 1-in-4 chance of flood over the lifetime of a 30-year-mortgage, according to a recent USA TODAY investigation.
