FEMA releases new preliminary flood maps

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) recently announced the release of updated, digital flood hazard maps that show the extent to which areas throughout the county are at risk for flooding. The new preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is based on updated coastal modeling and shows flood hazards more accurately than older maps.

The preliminary map is available to residents and businesses on the online Flood Map Information Service found at www.pinellascounty.org/flooding. Property owners in unincorporated Pinellas County can call the Flood Information Services hotline at (727) 464-8900 to ask questions and get answers about the new flood map. Property owners within municipal boundaries should call their city.

The newly released map is part of a large, multi-year coastal flood risk study effort to better identify, quantify and communicate the coastal flood hazards and associated risks in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, producing updated FIRMs. This effort is being undertaken as part of the FEMA Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning program.

For more information about flooding in Pinellas County and flood insurance, visit www.pinellascounty.org/flooding.