The Community Rating System (CRS) recognizes floodplain management activities that exceed minimum NFIP requirements.
The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official source for FEMA’s flood hazard mapping products.
Communities are using Risk MAP information and tools to mitigate flood risk. See the success stories.
Since 2010, FEMA has conducted annual national surveys of local officials & the general public on flood risk awareness.
As part of its Risk MAP program, FEMA is engaging communities to accurately map, communicate, and mitigate flood risk. This page provides information for community officials about Risk MAP and the National Flood Insurance Program.
The Risk MAP program focuses on providing flood prone communities across the nation with tools and data that can be used to mitigate the risk and impact from flooding and communicate with residents and businesses about that risk. You, as a community official, play an important role in the Risk MAP process. When it comes to flooding, FEMA recommends that you:
- Know Your Risk from flooding;
- Know Your Role in the Risk MAP process; and
- Take Action to reduce your community’s risk from flooding.
Know Your Risk
FEMA flood hazard data, maps and other products developed as part of the Risk MAP program will help you better understand your community’s flood risk. This information can help you plan to reduce flood risk, communicate with your residents and create a dialogue with neighboring communities about ways to work together to reduce risk.
If there is a Risk MAP project underway in your community, updated maps and/or other products about flood risk are in the process of being developed which can easily be incorporated into your own local plans, mapping systems and outreach materials.
Know Your Role
Get Involved in the Risk MAP Process
You can take part in helping to identify a potential mapping need for a Risk MAP flood risk project by submitting a mapping need request for a geographic area in FEMA's Coordinated Needs Management Strategy (CNMS) tool. The CNMS tool is FEMA's approach to coordinate and manage the agency's inventory of flood hazard studies and flood hazard mapping needs of areas where a flood hazard study may be needed. CNMS is beneficial for community officials in analyzing and depicting flood hazards to enhance understanding of flood risk and make informed decisions on community planning and flood mitigation. Learn more about CNMS and how to request an account on the CNMS webpage.
Additionally, if there is a Risk MAP flood risk project already underway in your community, your input will be important to make sure that maps and products accurately show local flood risk. View all the steps involved in a flood risk project on the Risk MAP Project Lifecycle page.
Understand Requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
Any new or updated Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report will need to be adopted and used by your community. Failure to adopt and enforce regulatory requirements based on the new FIRM can result in suspension from the NFIP. For more information about community responsibilities, refer to Adoption of Flood Insurance Rate Maps by Participating Communities.
Learn about Available Risk MAP Products
While the FIRM and FIS report support regulatory requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), other Risk MAP products are designed to help you with planning and outreach efforts to reduce flood risk in your community. Information about the different types of products and how to access them is available on the FEMA Flood Risk Products page.
Take Action
The Risk MAP program is focused on helping communities to take steps to become more resilient to future flood events. What can you do as a community to reduce your flood risk?
Plan Ahead
If you haven’t already, consider preparing a community hazard mitigation plan. These plans can help you to make more informed decisions based on the risk of flooding and other natural disasters.
Mitigate the Risk
Learn what flood reduction measures are right for your community:
- Find ideas for reducing the risk in your community using Mitigation Ideas: A Resource for Reducing Risk to Natural Hazards. Hazards addressed include flooding, drought, earthquake, severe winter weather, storm surge, tornado and wildfire.
- FEMA’s Mitigation Best Practices Portfolio highlights actions other communities have taken to build smarter, safer and stronger.
- FEMA’s Mitigation Action Measure Tracker tracks the Risk MAP program’s success in enabling communities to reduce risk. Communities can also use this tool to help manage mitigation efforts.
Use the Maps and Products Available
Mapping data and products provided by FEMA through Risk MAP can help you with your community planning efforts. You can also use this information to communicate with your residents about flood risk. Tools and tips for communicating about flood risk and flood insurance to your residents are available on the FloodSmart's Community Resources page.
Join the Community Rating System (CRS)
The NFIP’s Community Rating System (CRS) recognizes community floodplain management activities that exceed NFIP floodplain management standards by reducing the cost of flood insurance premiums from 5 percent to 45 percent. Your community is likely already performing activities for which credit is available.
More Resources for Community Officials
- Risk MAP Program
- Risk MAP Project Lifecycle Page
- FEMA Flood Hazard Mapping
- Floodplain Management
- Emergency Management Institute Training
- Guidelines and Standards for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping
- Flood Hazard Mapping: Information for Floodplain Managers
- Living with Levees: Information for Community Officials
- Coastal Flood Risk: Information for Community Officials
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center (The official source for FEMA flood maps)
- FloodSmart.gov (The official website of the NFIP)
- Answers to Questions About the NFIP, FEMA Publication F-084
- Floodplain Managers User Group page (Provides relevant NFIP and flood hazard mapping-related resources)
Contact a Map Specialist at the FEMA Map Information eXchange through the following methods, if you have any questions:
- Call (1-877) FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) Monday through Friday, 8:00 am through 6:30 pm (EST)
- Email FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com
- Chat with a Map Specialist Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST)
Take Action!
Make a plan, be ready for disaster, visit www.Ready.gov.
Ever wonder, What is Mitigation? Learn more about mitigation and how to be prepared!