Flood Maps now on-line

Residents of nine northwest Florida coastal counties can now enter a portal from their home computers and obtain flood risk information for their properties.  They can visit http://portal.nwfwmdfloodmaps.com/ , type in their addresses or use the click and zoom feature to locate their parcels and determine whether they are in a flood hazard area. 

“Floodplain maps are now accessible and interactive online for all Northwest Florida Water Management District coastal counties,” said Ron Bartel, Director of the District’s Division of Resource Management.  “Residents will be able to review their flood risk without going to a library or planning department.  Although official FEMA flood insurance rate maps called FIRMs must still be consulted and used by insurers to determine flood insurance rates, this new tool gives  people the ability to look at the FIRMs literally from their living rooms.“

 “The new tool was developed for its ability to present new or draft flood risk information as it is developed,” said Senior Hydrologist Jerrick Saquibal.  “The coastal area is currently being restudied for the entire District and plans are underway to post the draft maps on the tool as well.  The draft maps are called preliminary FIRMs, which in the past were difficult for citizens to view without going to a public meeting or a library when they are posted.  The ability to view flood risk information through the flood portal is an important outreach tool to allow people living in flood hazard areas to comment on the draft maps and in some instances use them before they go final.”   

In some communities this is the first update in 10 to 20 years.  Today’s updated maps are based on the District’s recently modernized topographic information derived in a digital format from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data.  This data along with digital aerial photography has helped the District to produce new maps with very detailed floodplain delineations in some areas.  These revisions may increase or decrease the amount of area within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), and permit residents in flood hazard areas to act on risk information that might impact their properties. The District’s Flood Information Portal gives users the ability to view, in a printable report at the property level, the revised and previous flood maps side by side, along with flood zone designations, predicted depths of flooding, and other useful information.

As map updates continue, particularly in the non-coastal counties (Leon, Gadsden, Liberty, Calhoun, Jackson, Washington and Holmes), FIRMs will become available for viewing through the District’s Flood Information Portal for those areas as well.

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