Flood insurance is required for all buildings in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) if they have mortgages from government-backed lenders. As a result of the City's participation in the NFIP, property owners and renters may purchase Federal flood insurance on any building and its contents, even if the property is outside the SFHA.
FEMA is updating the NFIP's risk rating methodology through implementation of Risk Rating 2.0. Whereas, rates were predominantly based on the difference in elevation between the lowest floor elevation and the base flood elevation, the new methodology incorporates three types of elevation variables (i.e., elevation relative to the flooding source; local relative elevation; and first floor height). Please see the following fact sheet from FEMA.
NFIP Claims Handbook
A claims handbook is available from the National Flood Insurance Program that provides guidance on arrangements to make before a flood, safety during a flood, instructions on filing a flood claim and steps to take if there are issues with the result of the claim. The handbook is available here. Please refer to your flood insurance policy for specific information on coverage, limitations, restrictions and deductibles.
Questions?
For further information on flood insurance, please contact your local insurance agent or the NFIP Help Center at floodsmart@fema.dhs.gov or 1-800-427-4661. You may also review current and previous editions of the Flood Insurance Manual.