FEMA updates Flood Maps in Iowa

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Aug. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- FEMA flood zones are flood risk areas identified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map. Through its Flood Hazard Mapping Program, FEMA identifies flood zone areas, assesses flood risk, and partners with States and communities to provide flood hazard and risk data to guide them to mitigation actions. 

Flood Risk Mapping is an important part of the National Flood Insurance Program, as it is the basis of the NFIP regulations and flood insurance requirements.

The new flood maps, drawn by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, dictate the monthly premiums millions of American households pay for flood insurance. They are also designed to give homeowners and buyers the latest understanding of how likely their communities are to flood.

The new maps come just as rates for subsidized federal flood insurance are leaping upward, in some cases by 25 percent a year until they reflect the true actuarial risk as the result of the Biggert-Waters Act passed in 2012 to stabilize the finances of the National Flood Insurance Program.

New flood maps and preliminary data provides the public an early look at their home or community’s projected flood risk. “FEMA is in the process of updating Flood Maps in every state,” says Bryan Baumann, a senior mapping analyst at Second Look Flood, LLC. “Each year, thousands of homeowners that are wrongly placed in the high-risk flood zone, and those that should be there might not have adequate coverage when a flood does occur. Everyone should know about these updates.”

Second Look Flood, an experienced Flood Determination Company, offers the newest FEMA maps and tools to help home buyers and homeowners more accurately determine their flood risk. The team of mapping analysts goes far beyond traditional automated mapping programs of banks, lenders and insurance companies, which only approximate a property’s location. “Every homebuyer and homeowner deserves the peace of mind of a well-trained mapping professional working on their behalf,” Baumann adds.

About Second Look Flood:

Second Look Flood is a leading flood determination company located in St. Cloud, MN. The company offers the newest FEMA Flood Maps, Flood Risk Reports with an aerial overlay and Flood Determinations Nationwide. For more information, FAQs, flood facts and more, visit www.secondlookflood.com