You can find a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Studies online FEMA Map Service Center or paper versions are also available at each of the following locations:

• Selby Public Library on shelf, Call No. 363.3493022 FLO and other county libraries
• Sarasota County Government Planning and Development Services
  1301 Cattlemen Road
  Sarasota, FL 34234
• Sarasota County Government R. L. Anderson Building
  4000 S. Tamiami Trail
  Venice, FL 34293
• Sarasota County Government Environmental Services Water Resources
  1001 Sarasota Center Blvd.
  Sarasota, FL 34240

How can I tell what flood zone I am in?

Everyone is in a flood zone, however, if in a high hazard are on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps, you must follow federal regulations, which may require the mandatory purchase of federal flood insurance.

No. The Emergency Services Web site illustrates storm surge zones only, NOT FEMA-designated flood zones as depicted on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). These are two totally different references. 

The storm surge zones are Zone A for a Category 1 Hurricane, Zone B for a Category 2 Hurricane; Zone C for a Category 3 Hurricane and Zone D for both a Category 4 and 5 Hurricane. While FEMA Flood Zones have federal, state and local regulations implications and are used to determine your flood insurance risks and premiums.

The intention of the federal regulations (44 CFR) and maps (FIRMS) was to furnish those local communities who wanted to both protect the residents from harm but still choose to develop a high risk flood area, was that they needed to be insured and wisely develop the land and/or build to a higher standard for flood protection. Sarasota County, SWFWMD and FEMA all used the one percent chance in any given year flood event. We call that our Level of Service a/k/a the 100 year flood event which is equivalent to 10 inches of rainfall in 24 hours in our area.

In Sarasota County those 10-30 year old paper Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) show these high hazard areas that depict the one percent chance of flooding in any given year (sometimes called the 100 year base flood event). You may be familiar with terms such as A, A1-30, AE zones or V, V1-V30, VE zones these denote inland and coastal flood areas.

Our FIRMs have experienced many delays in producing a new Digital FIRM map. In the meantime, we have imposed higher regulations on the newly studied and adopted high risk flood areas but until the federal government adopts them which now may be late 2011, the mandatory regulations are not imposed.

FEMA: Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) and Letter of Map Revision-Based on Fill (LOMR-F) Process

Martin Duran, CFM, NFIP
Specialist Planning and Development Services.
Contact the Call Center at 941-861-5000.

To be removed the floodplain shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map, a structure must be on land that is not subject to flooding by the 1 percent annual chance flood.

Remember, more severe floods can and do happen, so even if your home is found to be on high ground, it may still be damaged by an extreme flood event.

If your lot or building site is on natural ground that is higher than the Base Flood Elevation shown on the FIRM, then you may request a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). To support your request, you will have to get a surveyor to determine the elevation of the ground next to your building and complete an Elevation Certificate.

If the ground is higher than the Base Flood Elevation, then FEMA will issue a LOMA. With a LOMA, your lender may choose to not require flood insurance. If your home was built on fill that was placed after the FIRM was prepared, you may request a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F). As with a LOMA, you will need to get an Elevation Certificate completed by a land surveyor.

If the filled ground is higher than the Base Flood Elevation, and if you do not have a basement, then FEMA may issue a LOMR-F, and your lender may choose to not require flood insurance.

Both insurance and lender professionals normally use subcontractors who specialize in providing this service or you can request that Sarasota County make a Flood Zone Determination by calling 941-861-5000. 
Beginning in January 2008 there will be a fee associated with this request.

Probably not. Unless the building is flood proofed to at least one foot above the BFE, the rate will be best on the elevation of the lowest floor.  If the lowest floor is two or more feet below the BFE, it will be a submit to rate.

Obtain or develop a base flood elevation for the site and require the building to be elevated above it.

In order to assist t Sarasota County, with better flood risk assessment for our residents became a Cooperative Technical Partner with the Southwest Florida Water Management District and FEMA in 2001 to accept federal grant assistance to accomplish the following:

• Digitize the current paper flood maps most recently updated in 1992.
• Input up-to-date scientific data from more current Flood Study Updates for our 28 watershed basins.
• While waiting for federal adoption process to begin, the county will adopt, use and share the most recent flood study data to review of new development so as to "not adversely impact flooding risks to others".

How long will this process take? Longer than originally anticipated.

Starting in October 2007, technical experts from Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), the county, the cities of North Port, Sarasota, Venice and Town of Longboat Key began reviewing the scientific data collected so far. The State of Florida contracted to fly our coastline and capture and produce scientific data in in 2004 and again in 2007. As of Oct. 16, 2007, the county had not received the 2007 data to begin a comparison of data.

For more information on the map modernization program and timelines click here: FEMA: Map Modernization.