How to use a flood map to determine flood risk for a property : a guide for interested private citizens, property owners, community officials, lending institutions, and insurance agents.

Cover title

Supersedes FIA-14/May 1988

This guide was developed by FEMA's Mitigation Directorate to help citizens determine whether a specific property is in danger of being flooded and whether structures on that property should be insured against flood loss. Maps used in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to identify flood hazards are a critical tool for determining who would be required to carry flood insurance. These maps provide information on common physical features in an area, Special Flood Hazard Areas, base flood elevations or depths, flood insurance risk zones, and areas subject to inundation due to a 500-year flood. This guide describes what information is available on a flood map, the key map elements, how to read a map index, how to read map panels, and how to obtain a FEMA flood map