This page contains information on the status of flood studies and mapping efforts for the U.S. Pacific Coast and offers educational resources on this topic. This page is intended for community members, stakeholders and officials living near or on the Pacific Coast, as well as mapping professionals and contractors.
In accordance with FEMA’s Guidelines and Standards for Coastal Flood Hazard Analysis and Mapping, FEMA is performing a detailed coastal engineering analysis and mapping of the pacific coast. Using the new guidelines and specification, the coastal Risk MAP study aims to foster collaborative efforts between FEMA, other federal agencies, states, tribal and coastal communities while increasing the understanding of local flood risk, encouraging mitigation efforts and improving the community’s resilience against flood risks (life, property and business).
Composed of five U.S. states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington), the pacific coast’s tidal shoreline stretches for approximately 40,298 miles through various environments.
Originally produced in the mid-to late 1970s, many of the current coastal Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are outdated and do not take into consideration the vast changes that have occurred in the pacific coast’s physical geography within the last 30 years. Updated coastal flood studies are necessary to better understand the pacific coast flood hazards. The new FIRMs will incorporate new research methodologies with geo-coded data collected from a consortium of federal, state, tribal, academic and private-sector organizations. The result will be a comprehensive, scientific, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based data set that provides more accurate identification and analysis of pacific coast flood risks.
On the pacific coast, two FEMA Regions – Region IX and Region X - hold jurisdiction and work in conjunction along with other federal agencies, states, tribal and local community officials to prepare for, protect against, respond to and mitigate hazards. FEMA Regions IX and X ensure that coastal Risk MAP study assessments are done correctly, efficiently and in collaboration with local communities.
To obtain information on the status of flood studies in specific pacific coast areas, please visit FEMA’s Regional Coastal Analysis and Mapping Pacific coast websites:
FEMA Region IX Coastal Study (California, Hawaii)
FEMA Region X Coastal Study (Alaska, Oregon, Washington)
For general information about the FEMA Regional offices responsible for managing the pacific coast flood studies, please visit the following websites:
FEMA Region IX (California, Hawaii)
FEMA Region X (Alaska, Oregon, Washington)
For More Information
Find answers to many of your questions by visiting our Coastal Frequently Asked Questions page.
The Coastal Flood Risk Resources page, 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.
Learn about what resources, grants and other information is available when Rebuilding After a Coastal Storm.
Subscribe to the Coastal Flood Risks email updates.