Basic Flood Map Questions

How are “flood prone areas” identified for lands in rural White County?

Special maps, called flood insurance rate maps (FIRM) provide a consistent means for determining “flood-prone areas”.  There are a total of 15 rural White County FIRM panels (Community Number 050467, Effective Date 3/01/2000).  These maps provide definitive floodplain determination information for lands in the unincorporated areas of White County.  On all 15 FIRM panels the flood prone areas are indicated with the same “dot” pattern and Zone A label.

What is the "base flood"?

A “base flood” is the flood that has a 1-percent chance of either being equaled or exceeded in any given year at a particular location.  It is sometimes called the “100 year flood” or the “1% chance flood”.  The dotted Zone A regions on the 15 rural White County Flood Insurance Rate Maps are the areas expected to be inundated with water when there is a flood equal to or greater than the “base flood”.  These Zone A regions are also called “special flood hazard areas” or SFHAs.

My lending agency informed me that the land where I am planning to build my home is in a “flood hazard area” or “special flood hazard area”.  What does that mean?

On the White County Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM), special flood hazard areas (SFHA) are lands included in the dotted “Zone A” regions.  In addition, Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM), such as the ones that show the flood-prone areas in Searcy, are available for several of the incorporated White County communities.  On a city or town FIRM, the SFHAs are shaded areas that are labeled to reflect different levels of flood risk in different parts of the particular community.

Theoretically, a SFHA is land that is expected to be covered with water during the occurrence of a flood that is at least as severe as the base flood.  According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a structure that is located within a SFHA has a 26 percent chance of suffering flood damage during the term of a 30-year mortgage.

What is the “base flood elevation” (BFE)?

Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is locally the highest water surface elevation that is expected to occur in the event of a flood that is at least as severe as the base flood (or “100 year flood”).  Generally, the base flood elevation is not the same for all locations upstream/downstream on a given creek or river.  Anyone needing to obtain the base flood elevation for a planned home or other structure to be located in a special flood hazard area, or for a planned subdivision, should contact a registered engineer or a registered land surveyor for assistance.

How can I find out what the base flood elevation (BFE) is for my property?

At the present time, very few base flood elevations are available for rural White County.  Most likely, you will need the assistance of a registered land surveyor or a registered engineer, in order to get your BFE.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) only allows the use of certain approved methods for determining the BFE. 

Are the flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) ever wrong?

The 15 rural White County FIRM panels are based on the best information that was available at the time that the maps were first published.  However, in some cases the special flood hazard areas (Zone A regions on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps) include patches of land that are at somewhat lower risk of flooding.  The base flood elevation would have to be determined, and an elevation certificate would have to be prepared, before a change in floodplain status could be made.  A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) from FEMA is also needed, before such a change would be officially recognized by lenders or insurers.

I need help deciding whether or not my property lies in a SFHA.  What can I do?

Many lending agencies obtain third-party flood hazard determinations from private companies that are set up to do this.  The third-party option is also available to the general public.  Alternatively, bring a legal description of the property in question, along with a site diagram showing existing and/or planned structure locations, to the White County Assessor’s Floodplain Management and GIS Office at 119 W Arch in Searcy.  Occasionally, the process is time-consuming, so be prepared to wait a few days.  Please also keep in mind that your lender is not bound, or in any way obligated to you, as a result of our determination.

I disagree with my lending agency’s interpretation of my flood insurance rate map.  According to the lender’s interpretation, my property is located in a SFHA, but I don’t see that.  What can I do?

In this case, no elevations are involved.  It is only a question of the location of the property in a SFHA.  In a case like this, the lender and the property owner jointly file an application for a letter of determination review (LODR).  The application must be filed with FEMA within 45 days after the lender first notifies the borrower that the property is located in a SFHA.

What is a Letter of Determination Review (LODR), and who needs one?

A Letter of Determination Review may be requested from FEMA when a borrower disagrees with his or her lender, strictly on the question of whether or not the property is located in a SFHA according to the currently effective Flood Insurance Rate Map.  The application for LODR must be filed with FEMA within 45 days after the lender first notifies the borrower that the property is located in a SFHA. 

My property has never flooded, and I believe that it should not be considered “floodplain” even though it is located in a Zone A region on the Flood Insurance Rate Map.  What can I do to have this changed?

In this case, you agree that the map shows that your property is located in a SFHA.  However, you think that your property is high enough to be totally safe from flooding.  You will need the services of a registered land surveyor or registered engineer in order to have its “floodplain status” changed.  The basic steps are: (a) Surveyor or engineer determines your local base flood elevation (BFE) and your land surface elevations.  (b) If the land surface elevations are greater than the BFE, we will work with you and the surveyor or engineer to complete an elevation certificate.  We will use the elevation certificate to apply for a letter of map amendment (LOMA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.