We are pleased to announce that the restudy of flood hazards in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties has been completed and Preliminary versions of the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) and associated Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports are now available for viewing or download.

• If you would prefer to view or download the digital (electronic) version of the DFIRMs and FIS reports, please visit the Preliminary DFIRMs page and follow the instructions provided.
• If you would prefer to view a paper copy of the Preliminary DFIRMs and FIS reports in person, you can view them at your local Community Map Repository.

Please note that the Preliminary DFIRMs should not be used for flood insurance rating purposes; Please note also that the Preliminary DFIRMs should not be used for floodplain management purposes unless or until the communities choose to formally adopt them. The Preliminary DFIRMs and FIS reports do, however, provide the best available flood hazard and risk information for Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties because they were developed using the latest engineering analysis methods, state-of-the-art technology, and current conditions. Please consult your local floodplain administrator if you have questions on what flood map or elevations to use during the rebuilding process.

To explain the choices that exist for those individuals who disagree with the flood hazard and risk information shown on the Preliminary DFIRMs and FIS reports, we have created a page on map change options.

To help explain the coastal analysis that was an important part of the restudy and remapping project, FEMA and the State of Mississippi produced informative videos, which are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese We hope that you find these videos helpful in understanding how the coastal analysis was performed and how the results of this analysis were used to develop Base Flood Elevations and Special Flood Hazard Areas (high-risk areas) for presentation on the modernized DFIRMs.