ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — FEMA’s new flood maps are now in effect in Ithaca. 

Mayor Robert Cantelmo tells WHCU the city is challenging some of the federal agency’s information. 

While noting that the city’s flood risk because of climate change is a valid concern, the mayor wants FEMA to use Ithaca’s “on-the-ground” data.

FEMA’s new maps, the first update in about four decades, took effect in Ithaca on June 18, 2025.

FULL INTERVIEW: Mayor Robert Cantelmo on Ithaca’s Morning News