This page includes information related to all of the Flood Risk Products provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Flood Risk Products help community officials and the public view and understand their local flood risk. The Flood Risk Products that may be available to your community are a Flood Risk Map (FRM), Flood Risk Report (FRR) or Flood Risk Database (FRD). These products are non-regulatory resources that supplement the flood hazard information produced by the regulatory Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and FIRM database products. Both the general public and government officials are encouraged to use these free resources to help make better informed decisions about preparing for and mitigating flood loss.
View and Download Your Community’s Flood Risk Products to Better Understand Your Local Flood Risk in One Central Location!
What are Flood Risk Products?
Flood Risk Products go beyond the basic flood hazard information on regulatory flood hazard products. Flood Risk Products provide
a deeper and user friendly analysis of flood risks within a Risk MAP Flood Risk Project.
Flood Risk Products help community members and officials view and visualize their local flood risk, allowing communities to make informed decisions about reducing flood loss and mitigating potential damage from flood hazards. These individuals may include property owners, emergency management officials, community planners and developers, real estate and insurance specialists and other professionals and community decision-makers.
What is Included in Flood Risk Products?
Flood Risk Products available through this search tool:
Flood Risk Map (FRM) - The FRM depicts flood risk data for a flood risk project area and is typically used to illustrate an overall picture of flood risk for the area. The content and format of individual FRMs may vary among project areas to best represent the local conditions. Typical maps might show the potential flood losses associated with the one-percent annual chance flood event for each census block, areas planned for new or revised maps, key watershed features that affect local flood risk and information about potential or successful past projects to reduce flood risk
Flood Risk Report (FRR) - The FRR provides community and watershed specific flood risk information extracted from the Flood Risk Database (FRD), explains the concept of flood risk and identifies useful tools and reference materials. The FRR, used in combination with Flood Risk Map (FRM), is a good tool for communities to use for raising local flood risk awareness
Flood Risk Database (FRD) - The FRD stores all flood risk data for a flood risk project, including the information shown in the Flood Risk Report (FRR) and on the Flood Risk Map (FRM). The FRD provides a wealth of data that may be used to analyze, communicate and visualize flood risk on an ad-hoc basis for a variety of uses. Communities are encouraged to use this database to support mitigation efforts and raise awareness. Data in the FRD represents a snapshot-in-time. Data is not updated regularly once the final FRD is posted to the Map Service Center. Elements in the FRD can include:
- Changes Since Last FIRM shows where the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) has changed since the last effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
- Areas of Mitigation Interest communicates where conditions have contributed to the severity of flooding losses, allowing for better prioritization of flood mitigation efforts and use of funds
- Flood Depth and Analysis Grids communicate the depth and velocity of floodwaters as well as the probability of an area being flooded over time
- Flood Risk Assessment Data provides an assessment of potential financial consequences and other impacts associated with structures located in a SFHA. This data also enables communities to make informed decisions regarding future land development and community infrastructure
In addition to these standard flood risk datasets, the Flood Risk Database may contain custom flood risk datasets created for the specific project area or even risk datasets related to other hazards. Geographic Information System (GIS) software and specialized skills are required to view the FRD and the associated elements.
Are Flood Risk Products Available for All Communities?
Not yet. Under Risk MAP, FEMA produces flood risk products along with regulatory flood map updates. FEMA undertakes a limited number of flood risk projects each year that take several years to complete. As a result, flood risk products are not available in all communities.
If you do not see your area of interest in the search tool’s drop down menus, your community does not have any flood risk products available at this time.
What Are the Benefits of Using Flood Risk Products?
Flood Risk Products greatly help assess, visualize and communicate local flood risk. There are many benefits for community members and officials:
Community Members
- Enhance understanding and awareness of a community’s flood risks and why flood zones have changed
- Identify areas at-risk of flooding, along with the factors that contribute to those risks
- Allow neighboring communities in a flood risk project area to see factors that may impact them, fostering collaboration
- Quantify potential future flood losses to existing structures or homes
- Improve ability to identify effective mitigation actions or areas requiring higher building code requirements or use of flood resilient designs and construction materials
- Make it easy for communities and homeowners to identify the impacts of new maps on the regulatory floodplain
Community Officials
- Support Floodplain Management, Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants and Community Rating System (CRS) activities
- Enhance emergency and community planning by illustrating highest impacted areas
- Assist with response and recovery planning and resource distribution
- Inform flood risk reduction actions, such as advocating for higher building code requirements or the use of flood resilient designs and construction materials
- Inform decision-makers where to prioritize mitigation activities and resources
- Help visually communicate flood risk to the public
- Improve risk communication and outreach
What is the Difference Between Risk MAP Flood Risk Products and Regulatory Flood Hazard Products?
Unlike regulatory flood hazard products on the MSC (FIRM, FIS Report, FIRM Database), Flood Risk Products are not intended to be used as the basis for official actions required under the NFIP, such as determining mandatory insurance purchase requirements for a property, determining the insurance rate for a property or enforcing minimum building standards for construction in a floodplain. These products work alongside regulatory products to provide additional flood risk information and to support a community’s overall floodplain management and hazard mitigation strategies and plans.
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) vs. Flood Risk MAP (FRM):
- A FIRM is the official map of a community that shows special flood hazard areas (SFHA) and the risk premium zones applicable to a community. A FIRM has undergone formal due-process and is published as the legal document for flood insurance rates.
- A FRM provides a graphical overview of the flood risk project area. The objective of the FRM is to summarize the notable flood risks within the project area and present this data within one large map.
Flood Insurance Study (FIS) Report Vs. Flood Risk Report (FRR):
- A FIS Report is a compilation and presentation of flood risk data for specific watercourses, lakes and coastal flood hazard areas within a community. When a flood study is completed for the NFIP, the information and maps are assembled into an FIS. The FIS report contains detailed flood elevation data in flood profiles and data tables.
- A FRR provides a summary of flood hazard and risk exposure to a community. In conjunction with the FIS report, the FRR explains in detail the flood risk assessment methodology and results of a FIRM.
FIRM Database Vs. Flood Risk Database (FRD)
- A FIRM Database is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) version of the FIRM and most of the quantitative data in the FIS.
- A FRD parallels the FIRM database. The FRD stores all flood risk data for a flood risk project, including the information shown in the Flood Risk Report (FRR) and on the Flood Risk Map (FRM). The FRD provides a wealth of data that may be used to analyze, communicate and visualize flood risk on an ad-hoc basis for a variety of uses. Communities are encouraged to use this database to support mitigation efforts and raise awareness.