Flooding & Flood Risks

  1. Flooding, Maps and Insurance
  2. Flood Development and Redevelopment

Flooding

Throughout the City of Fremont, the land is flat and storm water runoff is extremely slow. As a result there are numerous areas of the City in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. SFHAs, or floodplains, are defined as areas that are at high risk for flooding. These areas are indicated on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).

Flood Maps

To identify a community's flood risk, FEMA conducts a Flood Insurance Study (FIS). The study includes statistical data for river flow, storm tides, hydrologic/hydraulic analysis, and rainfall and topographic surveys. FEMA uses this data to create the flood hazard maps that outline different flood risk areas. FIRMs allow you to identify SFHAs, determine the location of a specific property in relation to the SFHA, determine the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) at a specific site, locate regulatory floodways, and identify undeveloped coastal barriers where flood insurance is not available. FIRMs were traditionally published in print format for use by insurance agents, lenders, and floodplain managers and administrators, but with increasing technology these maps are now available in interactive digital formats. The following is a link to the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; simply enter an address, a place, or longitude/latitude coordinates to find a flood map:

FEMAs Flood Map Service Center

Flood Insurance

In 1968 Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to provide insurance to assist citizens with the financial losses related to floods. Individual communities must participate in the NFIP for citizens and business to qualify to purchase flood insurance. Standard homeowners’ insurance policies to not typically cover damage related to flooding. Call 888-379-9531 for more information regarding flooding, flood risks, and the National Flood Insurance Program.

Fremont participates in the NFIP Community Rating System (CRS) so discounted flood premiums may be available.