By DAN RICHMAN

drichman@whidbeynewsgroup.com

Numerous Whidbey Island residents may find they are now at greater risk of flooding, thanks to changes that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is proposing to its federal flood insurance rate maps, a county official said Friday.

“Flood insurance policy rates are certainly going to go up because of this for a fair amount of folks,” said Dave Wechner, the county’s planning director. “On the other hand, rates may go down or stay the same, which could actually mean good news for some property owners.”

The county in late July sent postcards to the 4,260 island residents who may be at all affected by the changes, Wechner said.

“That was the first personalized notice that they might be affected, but the story has been out there,” he said.

The Board of Island County Commissioners has scheduled a public meeting with FEMA to discuss the proposed changes. The meeting is 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26 at the Coupeville Rec Hall, 901 N.W. Alexander St. Insurance experts will also be present at the meeting.

To view properties included in flood zones, see http://bit.ly/1tJh5tr. To receive a printed map of your property with a flood map overlay, the county requested that residents email to FEMArequest@co.island.wa.us. Please provide your full name, address with ZIP code and parcel number if known, the county requested. Your map will be available to you at the public meeting, the county said.

“People should access and view the maps, then contact their mortgage holders and/or insurance companies for information about what the changes might mean to their rates,” Wechner said.