This page provides useful information for technical partners, engineers, surveyors, and contractors who are participating in, or interested in learning more about, FEMA's ongoing coastal analysis and mapping effort.
What You Should Know and Why
As part of the Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP) effort, FEMA has undertaken a scientific and engineering effort to update Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports in populated coastal areas nationwide. This FEMA-led effort is being conducted in cooperation with other federal agencies, state agencies, regional entities, non-profit organizations (including universities and professional associations), local communities, and tribal entities. You may be eligible to assist with this effort as a Cooperating Technical Partner.
Coastal Flood Hazard Mapping Technical Resources:
Coastal Flood Hazard Analysis and Mapping Guidance and Modeling Programs
Information on how to submit a Letter of Map Change on behalf of clients.
When building along the coast, refer to the Coastal Construction resources:
Coastal Resources for Home Builders, Developers, & Construction Professionals
A number of NFIP Technical Bulletins provide technical recommendations for flood-resistant design techniques based on FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team and partner research
Building code-related information concerning the flood resistant provisions of the 2015, 2012, and 2009 International Codes® (I-Codes), the referenced standard American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 24, Flood Resistant Design and Construction, and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements
FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) Reports include technical and engineering design recommendations for structures based on findings following a number of natural disasters. Click here to access the FEMA MAT Reports
Steps You Can Take
Advise communities to build outside of the high-risk SFHAs and/or build to flood-resistant standards.
Understand the coastal flood risk study process so you can correctly advise communities and ensure a smooth process.
Access a community's preliminary flood hazard data by going to FEMA's Preliminary Flood Hazard Data page.
Adhere to NFIP and accepted industry building codes for hurricane and flood-resistant design.
Learn how you can reduce flood risk and increase the community’s disaster resilience by reviewing case studies on how others have built or rebuilt smarter, safer, and stronger in the Best Practices and Case Studies Portfolio.
For More Information
Visit FEMA's Engineers, Surveyors, & Architects webpage.
The FloodSmart Coastal webpages provide basic information on coastal flooding, flood insurance, flood mapping, and other coastal hazards.
Visit FEMA's Flood Insurance Reform webpage for information on the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 and other reforms.
Access the community's effective FIRM at your local map repository and online through FEMA’s Map Service Center.
Contact a Map Specialist at the FEMA Map Information eXchange, toll free, at 1-877-336-2627 or by email at FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.
Learn about what resources, grants, and other information are available when Rebuilding After a Coastal Storm.
Find answers to many of your questions by visiting our Coastal Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
The Coastal Flood Risk Resources webpage, organized by resource type, contains links to useful fact sheets, flyers, brochures, and other helpful documents produced by FEMA, other federal agencies, state agencies, water management districts, and other entities.
Subscribe to the Coastal Flood Risks email updates.