FEMA Flood Maps & FIRMettes: What Horry and Georgetown County Homeowners Need to Know
What Is a FEMA Flood Map & FIRMette?
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) produces Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) to help homeowners, businesses, and communities assess flood risks. A FIRMette is a scaled-down, site-specific section of a FEMA flood map, generated using FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL). It highlights a property's exact location in relation to flood zones, making it a vital tool for homeowners.
Why Is the FIRMette Important in the Certified Drainage Report?
As part of our Certified Drainage Report, we provide a FIRMette to give homeowners clear, site-specific flood risk data. This helps property owners:
Determine if their home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), a FEMA-designated high-risk flood zone where properties have a 1% or greater annual chance of flooding. These areas require mandatory flood insurance for properties with federally backed mortgages.
Understand if flood insurance is required by mortgage lenders
See potential flood mitigation requirements for future construction or improvements
How to Read the FIRMette in Your CDR
Your FIRMette contains key flood risk details, including:
Flood Zones:
Zone X (Minimal Risk): Outside the 100-year floodplain, which is the area with a 1% annual chance of flooding (also known as the '100-year flood event'). This zone represents a lower flood risk compared to high-risk areas. Zone X can be further broken down into “shaded” and “unshaded” areas. “Shaded” areas have a 0.2% to 1% annual chance of flooding. “Unshaded” areas have a less than 0.2% chance of annual flooding
Zone AE (High Risk): 1% annual chance of flooding, base flood elevation (BFE) provided
Zone VE (Coastal High Hazard): Subject to wave action and stricter building codes
Zone D: Unstudied area, unknown risk level
Base Flood Elevation (BFE): Shows expected water levels during a 100-year flood event
Regulatory Floodway: Indicates areas where water must be able to flow freely during a flood event
Map Scale & Location Coordinates: Helps verify the accuracy of flood zone placement
Using Your FIRMette as a Baseline for Future Changes
Flood maps are revised by FEMA at the federal level, based on new data, development, and climate patterns. Your FIRMette serves as a snapshot in time, providing a baseline to track how flood risk classifications evolve for your property. Here’s how you can use it over time:
Compare Future Updates: Periodically check FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) to see if your flood zone has changed.
Monitor Development Impact: If new construction or infrastructure changes occur in your area, these may alter drainage patterns and influence future flood map revisions.
Understand Insurance Implications: If your property is rezoned into a higher-risk area, flood insurance requirements could change. If it moves to a lower-risk zone, insurance costs might decrease.
Stay Proactive: Keeping your FIRMette on file allows you to track shifts in floodplain boundaries and prepare for potential policy or regulatory changes.
How We Use FIRMette Data in Our Certified Drainage Reports
At Residential Drainage Engineering, LLC, every Certified Drainage Report (CDR) includes a custom-generated FIRMette that provides homeowners with a detailed, site-specific view of their property's flood risk. This FIRMette is not just a static document—it serves as a practical reference tool that can be used for planning, insurance considerations, and long-term property management.
Your FIRMette is a crucial tool for understanding flood risks, planning property improvements, and making informed insurance decisions. Our Certified Drainage Reports (CDRs) simplify complex FEMA data into actionable insights for South Carolina homeowners.
Want to learn more? Contact Residential Drainage Engineering, LLC today for a Certified Drainage Report tailored to your property’s needs!
