Dam Safety: Knowing Your Online Resources
FEMA Flood Map Service Center. This is one of the best flood-risk evaluation resources. It lets you type in any address and will display flood extents that could impact the area. Generally, these maps will show the extents of the 100-year flood or the flood that has a 1% chance of occurring every year.
High-elevation floods usually occur due to heavy rainfalls, such as those from a hurricane; however, flows from a dam could also lead to these dangerous conditions. Knowing where local dams are and how to react if there is an emergency is very important for anyone in a flood-prone area.
County Parcel Viewers. With the rise of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, many individual counties have made their data available for public use. The most commonly available public data on county GIS websites are tax parcels. These tax parcels define basic property boundaries and can help determine if portions
Risk Rating System. Evaluating your flood risk is an important step when moving. Whether it’s a new home or a new business, if you move to an area prone to flooding, then there will be hidden costs beyond the initial purchase. If a flood happens, these costs can include water damage, loss of property, or even loss of life. Flood insurance can help offset some of the costs, but flood insurance is often separate from normal insurance. Currently, flood risk is rated on the 100-year flood, however, in October 2020, the Risk Rating 2.0 system developed by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is set to offer a better insight into an individual property’s risk of flood for multiple flood events. The new risk rating system also offers flood insurance reduction credits for installing flood openings, elevating the building, and elevating machinery and equipment (such as Air Conditioning Units) above the lowest floor.