FEMA Floodplains & the National Flood Insurance Program
There is a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA utilizes the following statistical data to create flood hazard maps within the United States:
Hydrologic/hydraulic analyses
Rainfall and topographic surveys
River flow
Storm tides
Flood Insurance Rate Maps
FEMA is currently updating and modernizing all Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) to a digital format throughout the United States. These digital flood hazard maps provide an official depiction of flood hazards for each community and for properties located within it. These flood hazard mapping associated with Orange County was updated and effective as of August 2009. The latest mapping is accessible from the FEMA Map Service Center website.
Map Service Center
In order to easily navigate the FEMA Map Service Center and understand it contents, County Planning recommends that the following information be reviewed: