Who is responsible for modernizing the maps?
The modernized maps for Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties are the result of a joint effort of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who worked in cooperation with local associations and technical experts from private-sector and research institutions. Community officials from the three coastal counties have also been involved in the mapping process. Before Hurricane Katrina, MDEQ, MEMA, and FEMA requested historical flood data pertaining to previous flooding incidents from all local coastal communities in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties to incorporate into the inland and coastal studies.