If you live or own property in the purple areas of the map below in Lee County, Florida, your plans to build/renovate or your National Flood Insurance (NFIP) policy premiums may be affected by these flood map changes (2021/2022 is the target date for this map to go into effect).
The new preliminary flood maps, which are officially called Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), will reflect current flood hazards resulting from a series of in-depth, large-scale studies that examined the flood hazards and risks in the affected coastal counties and some inland riverine areas.
What to Expect?
You may experience one of these scenarios:
• You'll be going into the Special Flood Hazard Area when you weren't before.
• You’ll be coming out of the Special Flood Hazard Area (but the flood risk is not entirely removed).
• You'll be in a higher risk flood zone.
• Or the base flood elevation (predicted level of flooding) on your property will change. (higher or lower)
• Or there may be no change to your flood zone or Base Flood Elevation.
These changes could impact construction regulations and how much you pay for the flood insurance (which your mortgage lender requires).
• Expect changes to loan requirements and flood insurance costs in areas where updates occur.
• Some residents and business owners will find that their flood risk has increased, while others it may actually have been reduced.
• The NFIP has insurance cost-saving rating options to help reduce financial impacts.
• Revised flood maps will guide Unincorporated Lee County's planning decisions and development requirements resulting in a more resilient county.
• The final effective date of the new FIRMs (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) is not yet known, however the target date is expected to be late 2021/2022.
• The County will keep the public and stakeholders informed throughout the process.
Does your preliminary flood map show a higher elevation requirement than the elevations on the existing effective flood map? If yes, then it's important to obtain an Elevation Certificate to determine the existing elevation of your structure. The difference between your first-floor elevation and the newly required BFE will determine if your NFIP premiums or building/remodeling requirements will change.
