Flood Insurance-Get the Info

FEMA performs hydrologic and hydraulic studies (that is, Flood Insurance Studies [FIS]) that identify flood-prone areas and provide flood risk data. Using FIS results, FEMA prepares a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) that depicts the spatial extent of Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) and other thematic features related to flood risk assessment. The FIRM is the basis for floodplain management, mitigation, and insurance activities of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In addition to identifying SFHAs, the risk zones indicated on FIRMs provide a basis for establishing flood insurance coverage premium rates offered through the NFIP.

Flood risks have been assessed for more than 20,400 communities nationwide, resulting in the publication of more than 80,000 individual FIRM panels. In addition to developing initial FISs, FEMA selectively revises FIRMs as communities grow, as new or better scientific and technical data concerning flood risks become available, and as some FISs become outdated by the construction of flood control projects or the urbanization of rural watersheds. Several thousand FIRMs are updated each year through physical map revisions and Letters of Map Change (including Letters of Map Amendment and Letters of Map Revision).

Developments in the fields of automated cartography, desktop mapping, and Geographic Information Systems technology led FEMA to automate the NFIP mapping and engineering program. During Fiscal Year 1992, FEMA began implementing a 10-year automation program. The goal of the automation program is to improve production efficiencies, enhance user awareness, and increase flood insurance policy coverage.

Source: www.fema.gov