FEMA Floodplains

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.