Levee System Information for Stakeholders

Real Estate, Insurance, and Lending Industry Professionals

Read general information about levee systems on the Levee System Introduction page.

Map Modernization and Levee Systems

As the Federal agency responsible for administering the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) identifies flood hazards, assesses flood risks, and provides appropriate flood hazard and risk information to communities nationwide. This information is provided to communities in the form of maps, called Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). FEMA has an effort underway, called Flood Map Modernization (Map Mod), to update and modernize existing FIRMs for most of the United States.

Levee systems have been identified in over one-fourth of the counties that will receive modernized maps—Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs)—as part of Map Mod. Therefore, FEMA has been working, and continues to work with Federal, State, and local professionals and technical partners to determine the flood protection and risk-reduction capabilities of the Nation's levee systems and to accurately reflect the flood hazard and risk in levee-impacted areas on the DFIRMs.

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What You and Your Clients Should Know About Flood Risk in Areas Impacted by Levee Systems

Levee systems are designed to provide a specific level of flood protection. The levee systems are not designed to protect people and structures from all flood events; thus, the areas impacted by levee systems will carry some measure of flood risk. You and your clients should know the flood risk for people and structures located in levee-impacted areas as presented on both the existing effective FIRMs and the modernized DFIRMs.

Your clients can take steps to reduce their losses in the event of a flood, and they can also protect themselves financially by purchasing flood insurance offered through the NFIP. Insurance agents can visit the FloodSmart agent secure site for information and tools to educate themselves and their clients about flood insurance.

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What You and Your Clients Should Know About Levee System Construction and Restoration Projects

In the interest of public safety, some communities and State agencies may undertake levee system construction or restoration projects, alone or in cooperation with a Federal agency such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These communities and agencies are attempting to reduce the flood risk to people and structures impacted by the levee systems. These communities and agencies also may be reducing the flood insurance premium rates for property owners living and working in the levee-impacted areas.

If work on a local levee system construction or restoration project is planned or underway, your clients may want to know whether they will receive any reduction in their flood insurance premium rate once the project reaches certain completion milestones. Therefore, you may want to learn more about the project by contacting the community floodplain administrator or the appropriate FEMA Regional Office.

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Useful Resources

The resources listed below will assist you and your clients in gaining a better understanding of levee systems and the flood risk posed to people and structures in levee-impacted areas. These resources and an array of other useful FEMA, NFIP, and Map Mod resources are located in the FEMA Library.

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For More Information

For more information or additional assistance:

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Return to the Levee System Introduction page.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 07-Oct-2008 09:51:26 EDT

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