A Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is an insurance and floodplain management map issued by FEMA that identifies areas of 1-percent annual chance flood hazard in a community. In some areas, the map also shows Base Flood Elevations and 0.2-percent annual chance floodplain boundaries and, occasionally, regulatory floodway boundaries.

A revision to the FIRM may be requested by completing and submitting the appropriate portions of the application/certification forms package titled "Revisions to National Flood Insurance Program Maps" (FEMA Publication Number 81-89), and the required supporting information. Click on the links below for the respective FEMA application forms: If you have questions, please call the Flood Control District at (602) 506-1501 and ask to speak with a Floodplain Representative.

If physical changes to the floodplain have changed the flood hazard information shown on the effective National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), a revision should be requested. The request should be accompanied by the appropriate portions of the MT-2 application/certification forms package and the required supporting information.

Most homes in the are carry some type of flood insurance due to it's low elevation, though the amount of coverage required/suggested depends on the proximity to water. Please check the FEMA website for your local flood map, and contact your insurance provider for a quote. This rate is constant among all insurance providers since it is offered directly through a government agency.

The preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) Report and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panels were received by the County in July 2005. You can view the new maps at the Chatham County Planning Department during normal business hours. There is a 90 day appeals period for any interested party starting near the end of July (Click here to view correspondence from the NC Flood Mapping Program). The reports and map panels can also be viewed at www.ncfloodmaps.

FIRMs are used for two purposes. First, they determine the location of the 100-year floodplain. Secondly, FIRMs are used by insurance companies and mortgage brokers to determine who must carry flood insurance, and what rates will be charged, in order to secure financing to buy, build or improve structures in the floodplain.

All property in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood plain must be covered by flood insurance. However, flooding can occur even in areas of low risk. Flood insurance protects property owners from the financial consequences of a flood. The County of Sacramento participates in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that makes flood insurance available for all County residents.

To buy a flood insurance policy, contact your insurance agent. If your agent does not write flood insurance or you don't have an agent, you can call NFIP's toll free number to obtain the name of an agent in your area who does write flood insurance. The number is 1-888-CALL FLOOD, ext. 445.

We can challenge the flood maps. This involves fairly extensive modelling so it will be more expensive than a Flood Risk Assessment. We would recommend a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment first so we can give you a clear view on what will be required, its likelihood of success and how much it will cost.

The current project schedule is to have the preliminary FIRMs available to the public in early 2004. The maps will be delivered to each of the 35 NFIP communities in Harris County and will also be available for the public to view online at www.tsarp.org.

In order to rate a firm, you have to go to their "Firm Details" page and follow the "Rate It" link. You can rate a firm based on Real Factors and Fun Factors, which are separate polls. If you do not know enough information about a firm in a certain category, then you can click "Don't Know". Going through and clicking "1" or "10" for every category really is not very helpful. Again, a polite request: please put some thought into your poll ratings, as many people take these ratings seriously.

You can purchase flood insurance anytime. There is a 30-day waiting period after you’ve applied and paid the premium before your policy is effective. If you purchase flood insurance in connection with making, increasing, extending or renewing a loan, there is no waiting period.

You can purchase flood coverage at any time. There is a 30-day waiting period after you've applied and paid the premium before the policy goes into effect. There are two exceptions: If the initial purchase of flood insurance is in connection with the making, increasing, extending or renewing of a loan; there is no waiting period. The coverage becomes effective at the time of the loan, provided the application and presentment of premium are made at or prior to loan closing.

You can purchase flood coverage at anytime; however, a flood policy does not cover a loss in progress. A loss in progress is one already happening as of 12:01 A.M. of the first day of the policy term.

New technologies are now commercially available that were not available 20 years ago when the original FEMA Flood Insurance Study and associated Flood Insurance Rate Maps were developed for Harris County. The current FIRMs have been kept up to date over the years, but still using the technology used to develop them originally. The new technologies now being used will result in a more accurate depiction of the floodplains improving our understanding of where the actual floodplains are.

Flood hazard maps, also called "Flood Insurance Rate Maps" or "FIRMs" are used to determine the flood risk to your home or business. The low- and moderate-risk zones are represented on the maps by the letter "X" or an "X" that is shaded. The inland high-risk zones will be labeled with designations such as "A", "AE", "AO" or "AH", and coastal high-risk zones that have additional risk from storm surge will be labeled "V" or "VE".