Why does FEMA map coastal flood hazards?

Coastal flood maps represent "snapshots" of flood risk for a local area at the time the study was performed. Flood maps can become obsolete as physical conditions change, or as our understanding of local flooding and flood effects improves. Obsolete flood maps have consequences for life safety (individuals may be living at risk and not know it), insurance reasons (flood insurance premiums may no longer reflect actual flood risk), and for land use and building permit reasons (development, building design, and post-flood recovery decisions are no longer tied to the nature and severity of flood hazards). Thus, it is in the best interest of the community and its citizens to maintain up-to-date flood hazard maps.

New flood studies are undertaken and flood maps are updated for a number of reasons, including:

  • Better topographic data;
  • A longer period of record to characterize coastal flood events;
  • Improved flood modeling procedures; and
  • Changes in land use and land characteristics, shoreline erosion, construction of flood barriers, etc.

According to FEMA's records, eight of the top 10 most expensive disasters in our Nation were caused by hurricanes. During these disasters, thousands of homes were destroyed, lives were disrupted, and many people were killed. Understanding coastal risks and then taking steps to make our homes and communities more resilient makes sense both on an economic and human level.

Show All Answers

1. Why does FEMA map coastal flood hazards?
2. I have never seen a flood here. Why is this area shown as a high risk flood zone?
3. A recent large storm hit near my house and it didn’t flood; are you sure these maps indicate the current flood risk in my area?
4. What is the difference between a Zone VE and a Zone AE flood hazard designation?
5. Why did FEMA choose the 1-percent standard?
6. How does the preliminary map issuance change my flood insurance rate?
7. Why is FEMA creating new coastal maps when there are so many other public priorities?
8. What different methodologies are used in performing coastal studies and why?
9. Why are there multiple flood studies occurring in my community?
10. Are the flood hazards shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map based on historic coastal flood events?
11. How accurate are coastal flood study results?
12. How can coastal flood studies be made more accurate?
13. If there is a margin of error in coastal flood studies, how can FEMA be sure that its flood insurance mandatory purchase requirement is not being applied to structures outside the Special Flood Hazard
14. At what scale are coastal flood studies performed?
15. Are the flood study results appealable?
16. Is it possible for community officials or individual property owners to appeal a coastal study when FEMA used supercomputers to obtain the results presented on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)?
17. Why isn't FEMA using the latest two-dimensional wave models to estimate wave effects over land?
18. Why is the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) near my property different than the BFE near my neighbor’s property?
19. What is the Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA)?
20. How is the LiMWA mapped?
21. How should I build in areas near the Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA)?
22. Does the LiMWA impact flood insurance premiums?
23. What is a Primary Frontal Dune (PFD)? How are the PFD lines drawn?
24. How long does it take to conduct a coastal flood study?
25. Why does a coastal study take so long?
26. What stakeholders are involved in conducting a coastal flood study?
27. Why is the modeling for a coastal study so complex?
28. How long is the appeal process and compliance period?
29. How is FEMA accounting for sea level rise and climate change on the FIRMs? Does sea level rise/climate change affect the FIRMs?
30. How are the FEMA maps different from NOAA’s inundation/evacuation maps?
31. Why isn’t our beach nourishment and/or dune construction project included in the coastal map study analysis and resulting mapping?
32. How do you assure that the analysis includes enough information to depict the flood risk near my home?
33. What is the Joint Probability Method?
34. What is a synthetic storm?
35. Does FEMA include tsunamis on the flood hazard maps?
36. What is the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS)?
37. What is the CBRS digital conversion project?
38. Why shouldn’t the FIRM be used to make CBRS determinations?
39. Why did FEMA remove some survey benchmarks?
40. Why am I in the mapped SFHA if my house is on a dune above the BFE?
41. What are some mitigation actions that coastal communities can take?
42. Can a community require higher BFEs to encourage higher building standards?
43. My homeowners insurance will not cover the additional cost to elevate. How is that fair?
44. Is it considered “new construction” if I replace my home after a disaster event?
45. Can I build on my property in the floodplain?
46. I can’t afford to elevate my home out of the floodplain. Is there any assistance available for me?
47. Why does FEMA promote development in the floodplain by offering flood insurance?
48. Why am I required to purchase flood insurance?
49. When am I required to purchase flood insurance?
50. Who determined that I was required to purchase flood insurance?
51. What information should I bring with me to meet with a flood insurance agent?
52. Can I shop around for flood insurance?
53. Why should I purchase flood insurance?
54. What can I do to get the cost of my flood insurance premium to be as low as possible?
55. Are there any modifications that I can make to my home to reduce my flood insurance rate?
56. Are extensive engineering studies needed in order to obtain a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA)?