Flood Maps

MAP UPDATES IN COASTAL REGIONS

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a congressional mandate to update flood maps for all coastal regions of the U.S., a long-term process that has already begun in many states, including Virginia. These updated maps are based on improved data and will provide a more accurate depiction of flood risk. While the Biggert-Waters Act originally stipulated that map updates would trigger immediate rate increases, this provision was repealed. Under the Grimm-Waters Act, policyholders whose properties are newly mapped into a Special Flood Hazard Area (zones A and V) will be charged their original, lower rate for one year. After that, they will face annual rate increases based on the new flood zone classification.

To see the flood maps in your community, look for your locality here. All maps for coastal Virginia were updated over the past three years. 

ACCESSING DIGITAL FLOOD MAPS

Digital flood maps can be accessed in several ways. However, please note that these maps may not always be up-to-date if new maps have been recently adopted. To ensure you are viewing the most current information, check with your community floodplain manager to find the date of the most recent effective maps and where to access them.

National Flood Hazard Layer

This is the most user-friendly platform for accessing and using flood maps, though not all localities have maps available on this platform yet. To find the flood map for your property, enter your address in the search bar at the upper right labeled “Find address or place.” You may need to select a basemap to make the map more readable; you can do this by clicking “Basemap” in the upper left and choosing an option—“Imagery” is often a good choice. To view the legend, which explains the flood zones, click on the legend icon under “Details” (to the left of “Basemap”).

Map Service Center

FEMA’s Map Service Center provides access to all digital flood maps, making it a reliable alternative if your community’s maps are not available in the National Flood Hazard Layer. To locate the flood map for your property, type in your address. Once the map appears, select "view" on the left to open the relevant map panel. You can also visit this link to learn more about how to find and read a flood map using this website.

Community Websites

Check your community’s website to see if flood maps are posted there. If the maps are not immediately visible, try searching for “flood maps” in the site’s search bar. Many community websites now offer a series of maps through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which may display Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). These systems vary, but you typically need to agree to terms before use, select the relevant “layers” (such as those related to flood maps/FIRMs), and then use a search function to locate your property.

ACCESSING PAPER FLOOD MAPS

Paper versions of your community’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps are available at your local government offices. These are likely the most up-to-date maps available for your community. Talk to your community floodplain manager to find out how to access them. For more detailed information on using paper maps, use FEMA’s FIRM Tutorial. Please note that some map features have changed since this tutorial was published. 

OTHER DIGITAL FIRM RESOURCES:

 FEMA Region III Flood Information Portal: This page has data for localities in Region III (which includes Virginia) in the midst of their current round of map updates. This site offers the unique ability to compare old and new or preliminary digital flood maps side-by-side so that you can easily see changes in flood zones on your property. You can also search by address and overlay FIRMs on satellite imagery. This is an excellent site, but not all localities are available as of early 2014.

FEMA’s Preliminary Flood Hazard Data also allows the user to view the updated preliminary maps before they become effective. These maps are available for review for a number of months both online and at your local government offices. To use this website, follow the “location” link and then choose your state, county, and city. A list of all preliminary flood map panels for your community will come up; choose the map with “IND” in its name to look at the map index to figure out which map panel applies to your property. This index map is normally the first or last map on the page. This site also allows for download of data for use with Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

If your locality is not listed, try the FEMA Region III Flood Information Portal (link above) or visit your local government offices to look at paper maps.

Flood Risk Information System for Virginia, North Carolina, and Alabama (with more states being added): FIRMs can be accessed and overlaid on satellite imagery, search by address is available, and maps and data can be exported and downloaded. Please note, however, that the satellite imagery does not always match up with the flood maps.

READING YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)

In order to determine your flood risk, whether you will be required by your mortgage company to obtain flood insurance, and to estimate generally if your rates will be high or low, you need to know which flood zone your property is located in. You may also need to determine the elevation of your structure if it is located in the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. 

After you have accessed your flood map, you need to determine which flood zone you are in (see glossary for zone definitions). If your FIRM is not laid over an aerial image, use the roads and other features drawn on the maps to identify the location of your property. If your FIRM is laid over an aerial image, it should be easier to identify the location of your property and structures within the flood zone based on the imagery.

Flood zones on the maps are typically differentiated by color (or shading) and letter. Maps vary, but in most cases a legend is available to help identify different zones. You can identify your flood zone by comparing the color/shading on your property to the legend, or by looking for a zone letter (X, A, V etc.) within the boundaries of the zone where your property is located. If you are looking at a digital map like the National Flood Hazard Layer, the zone name may relate to the probability of flooding. For example, the map may show the “0.2% annual chance” flood zone, which is also known as the shaded X-zone, which includes the extent of the 500-year flood. The “1% annual chance” zone applies to the A- and V-zones, known as the Special Flood Hazard Area.

Tips

Map Tip One: If your property is located in the Special Flood Hazard Area (an A- or V-zone), a base flood elevation will most likely be identified. This is written on the FIRMs as “EL #”, where the “#” is a number of feet that varies by location. This is the expected height of water (in feet) during a flood that has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year (and a 26% chance of occurring over the course of a 30-year mortgage). This 1% annual chance is what FEMA uses as a benchmark for a high-consequence flood that has a reasonable chance of occurring. If your property is located in the Special Flood Hazard Area, your flood insurance rate will be charged based on the elevation of your house in relation to the base flood elevation. You will need an elevation certificate to accurately determine the elevation of your structure. 

Map Tip Two: If multiple flood zones cross your property, your flood insurance rate will be charged based on the highest-risk zone that touches your structure. Even if a small corner of your structure touches a higher-risk zone, you will be charged as if your whole structure were in that zone. If you are mapped into a Special Flood Hazard Area (zones A and V), and you have a federally-backed mortgage, you may be required to obtain flood insurance in order to keep your mortgage.

Map Tip Three: If you disagree with the flood zone in which you are located, you may dispute it. While the maps are in the preliminary phase, you can try to get your flood zone changed by paying to have special flood studies conducted on your property. You may also work with FEMA to change the flood zone designation after the maps have become effective. You will likely need to hire a surveyor to take more precise measurements of your property if you do not already have an elevation certificate. You may submit an application for a Letter of Map Amendment, Letter of Map Change, or Letter of Map Revision to have your property removed from the Special Flood Hazard Area. Talk to your community floodplain manager for guidance on this process. For more information, click here.