Posted Sunday, November 15, 2009 --- 5:15 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Grant County residents will get a chance to review new flood maps this week.

Federal and state officials will hold an open house in Lancaster on Tuesday to feature the maps. People can learn about the risk of flooding, whether they need to buy flood insurance and how to appeal changes from existing maps.

The changes are part of an effort to update flood maps across the country and get them in digital formats. Most of the existing maps were created in the 1970s and 1980s.

The state Department of Natural Resources says 54 of Wisconsin's most populated counties will get new flood insurance rate maps in the next few years to update their flood plain ordinances.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)