People living in Dunbar, Marmet, Nitro, St. Albans and throughout the Kanawha Valley are getting a surprise in their mailbox.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is revising its flood map for the region.

In some cases, people living for years in one place are being told they now have to buy flood insurance, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

Confused by the new designation, homeowners are asking their insurance agents questions, and many aren't happy with the answers.

A representative for Nationwide Insurance says rates can vary so some people are okay with getting that insurance to satisfy their mortgage company. But warns there are some very high rates out there.

But for people like Debbie Melvin, who can't conceive of high water ever getting to her home, FEMA's decision is puzzling.

Melvin plans to challenge the flood map by getting a certificate of elevation. But that's no guarantee the decision will be reversed.

To find out more about insurance and ways to contest a special flood hazard area designation, go to floodsmart.org and click flood insurance policies on the left hand side of the page.