In addition to the identification of Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), the risk zones shown on the FIRMs are the basis for the establishment of premium rates for flood coverage offered through the NFIP. requires the purchase of flood insurance by property owners who are being assisted by Federal programs or by Federally supervised, regulated or insured agencies or institutions in the acquisition or improvement of land facilities located or to be located in identified areas having special flood hazards, ' Section 2 (b) (4) of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973. Insurance applications include enforcement of the mandatory purchase requirement of the Flood Disaster Protection Act, which '.

The FIRM is the basis for floodplain management, mitigation, and insurance activities for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This file is georeferenced to the Earth's surface using the Geographic Coordinate System (GCS) and North American Datum of 1983 (NSRS-2007). The specification for the horizontal control of FIRM Databases is consistent with those required for mapping at a scale of 1:12,000. The FISs and FIRMs are published by FEMA. The FIRM Database is derived from Flood Insurance Studies (FISs), previously published FIRMs, flood hazard analyses performed in support of the FISs and FIRMs, and new mapping data, where available. The primary risk classifications used are the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event, the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood event, and areas of minimal flood risk. The FIRM Database depicts flood risk information and supporting data used to develop the risk data. The FIRM Database is the digital, geospatial version of the flood hazard information (location and attributes for boundaries of flood insurance risk zones) shown on the published paper Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Any preliminary or draft data that appear on maps displayed at community meetings, etc., are not included here. The NFHL is updated as new data reaches its designated effective date and becomes valid for regulatory use under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).Īll data included in this layer are considered 'final' by FEMA. This layer is a compilation of effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) databases and any Letters of Map Revision (LOMR) that have been issued against those databases since their publication date.

Fema flood zones