MEQUON, Wis. — Recent historic flooding in Mequon has provided some residents with concrete evidence they believe proves their homes should not be included in FEMA's floodplain maps, potentially saving them thousands of dollars in mandatory flood insurance costs.
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Andy Moriarty, whose home sits near the Milwaukee River, has been paying $300 per month for FEMA flood insurance — a requirement tied to his mortgage.
During the recent historic flooding event a few weeks ago, the river level did rise into his backyard, but did not come within 100 feet of his back patio or home.
"Now we know what a 100-year flood will do to this property," Moriarty said. "Nothing."
TMJ4 first spoke to Moriarty in March for a story about the push to get the floodplain maps altered. Six months later, he had paid nearly $2,000 in flood insurance.
When FEMA's maps were last adjusted a few years back, Moriarty's property and several others were added to the floodplain for the first time, resulting in them having to buy insurance to satisfy their mortgage.
Despite this evidence, Moriarty remains frustrated that a corner of his house is still designated within the FEMA floodplain.
Watch: Recent floods give Mequon residents evidence FEMA's floodplain maps are wrong
"It's just frustration at this point that I have to continue to pay for something that truthfully I don't need or want," Moriarty said.
His situation mirrors that of neighbor Kurt Meckstroth, who lives about a mile upriver. Meckstroth bought his home 35 years ago, knowing his home was considered in the floodplain. Based on three decades of experience with rain at the house, he no longer believes it should be in the floodplain.
"We've lived here 35 years. We've seen the 500-year flood... It never has (flooded the home), and I don't think it will," Meckstroth said.
Meckstroth paid between $700 and $800 per year for flood insurance over 23 years — totaling more than $16,000 — until he paid off his mortgage and was no longer required to maintain the coverage.
The FEMA designation has also limited home improvements through the agency's 50% rule, which caps renovation costs and, according to Meckstroth, makes the property harder to sell.
The City of Mequon has been working for months to secure relief for the affected residents, believing the flow of the river is being overstated.
Because of the complexity of the application and documentation needed, the city has not yet submitted a formal request to get the maps changed. That request first needs to go through state regulators at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources before heading onto FEMA.
A FEMA spokesperson said the agency is ready to work with Mequon when officials do file a formal request for floodplain boundary adjustments, known as a "Letter of Map Revision" or LOMR.
Mayor Andrew Nerbun indicated the whole process will take time, but the city has gathered evidence from recent floods to strengthen its case if there is pushback.
"If the water ever did make it up to my house, Mequon's going to have a lot bigger issues on hand," Moriarty said. "I think it's pretty straightforward. (We have to) keep fighting, I guess."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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