FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program

The City of Lakeland currently participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP is a federal program administered by FEMA that enables property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance protection against losses from flooding.

Participation in the program is based on an agreement between local communities and the federal government that states if a community will adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks to new construction in identified flood hazard areas, the federal government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against losses.

View a copy of the City of Lakeland’s Floodplain Zoning Ordinance (PDF).

Who needs flood insurance?

Homes and businesses with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders in high-risk flood areas (i.e. Zones A and AE – 100-year flood plain) are required to have flood insurance. Flood insurance is not required if you live in a moderate-to-low risk flood area (i.e. all other areas in Lakeland), it is still available and strongly recommended. For more information, visit the FEMA website.

2013 Flood Insurance Rate Maps

Effective February 6, 2013, FEMA issued a new Flood Insurance Study and related Flood Insurance Rate Maps covering most of the City of Lakeland.

The maps below were produced by the City of Lakeland’s GIS Division in conjunction with the new 2013 Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The new 2013 FIRM’s were overlaid with 2011 parcel-based maps provided by the Shelby County Assessor. Parcel boundaries do not reflect accurate survey information or exact legal ownership boundaries and are only provided for general information purposes. Please note that the information in this document has not been field verified and the City of Lakeland hereby releases itself from all responsibilities concerning the accuracy of this map.

For this series of maps, the Town has been split into 4 areas. Download the Key Map below to see which map (or maps) cover your area. Each Area Map includes street names along with property addresses.

FEMA’s hardcopy Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Profiles are the authoritative documents for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Electronic versions of the FIRMs are available on FEMA’s Map Service Center at the following link:
FEMA Map Service Center

How do I determine if my property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)?

FEMA publishes maps indicating a community’s flood hazard areas and the degree of risk in those areas. These maps area called Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The FIRM for your property can be viewed online through the FEMA Map Service Center. The Town of Lakeland Engineering Division also retains a copy of these maps.

What are the types of Flood Hazard Zones on the FIRM and what do they mean?

Zone A: Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event. Detailed hydraulic analysis have not been performed in this area so Base Flood Elevations or Flood Depths are not provided. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply.

Zone AE: Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-chance flood event determined by detailed methods. Base Flood Elevations are provided for this zone. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply.

What is a regulatory floodway?

The regulatory floodway is the stream channel plus a portion of the overbanks that must be kept free from encroachment in order to discharge to 1-percent-annual-chance flood without increasing flood levels by more than 1 foot. The intention of the floodway is not to preclude development, but to assist communities in managing floodplain development and prevent additional damages to other property owners.

Encroachments including fill, new construction, and substantial improvements are prohibited within the floodway unless it has been determined through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses that the proposed encroachment will not increase flood levels within the community.

Can my property be removed from the Flood Insurance Rate Map?

FEMA has established administrative procedures for changing effective FIRMs by a Letter of Map Change (LOMC). These changes are based on new or revised scientific or technical data that have been reviewed and approved by FEMA. There are three types of LOMC: Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA), Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) and Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-Friday).

Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA): A LOMA amends the currently effective FIRM and establishes that a specific property is not located in a special flood hazard area. A property owner who believes their property has incorrectly been included in a designated special flood hazard area may submit new scientific or technical data to FEMA for review. If approved FEMA will issue a LOMA removing the property from the special flood hazard area.

Letter of Map Revision (LOMR): A LOMR is an official revision to the currently effective FIRM. It is used to change flood zones, floodplain and floodway delineations, flood elevations, and planimetric features. The appropriate form shall be completed by a professional engineer or land surveyor and submitted to the City of Lakeland Engineering Division for review prior to submitting to FEMA.

Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-Friday): A LOMR-Friday is an official revision to the currently effective FIRM and establishes that a structure has been elevated above the Base Flood Elevation by the addition of fill. The appropriate form shall be completed by a professional engineer or land surveyor and submitted to the City of Lakeland Engineering Division for review prior to submitting to FEMA.

Can my Letter of Map Correction (LOMC) be affected by the new revised Flood Insurance Rate Map?

Yes, if your property is located in an area where a new FEMA flood hazard study is being conducted there is a potential for the Base Flood Elevation on your property to change. FEMA will issue a revalidation letter to the City of Lakeland listing the LOMCs (including LOMA, LOMR, and LOMR-Friday) which remain in effect.

If you have questions or need further assistance, please contact:

City of Lakeland’s Engineering Department
901-867-2717