Background

Well before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) embarked on a nationwide effort called Flood Map Modernization, or Map Mod, to update flood maps in floodprone communities across the Nation.  As the Federal agency responsible for administering the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), FEMA manages the Map Mod effort. 

FEMA has administered the NFIP continuously since the agency was created in 1978. Because the resources available to update the flood maps had been limited for an extended period of time, many of the Nation’s flood maps had become out-of-date, limiting their usefulness.  Reliable flood hazard and risk data that are based on current conditions enable citizens to more reliably know their flood risk, and to purchase flood insurance based on that risk.  The flood maps and supporting technical data also provide communities with a more comprehensive approach to disaster mitigation planning, economic development, and emergency response. 

Support

Recognizing the importance of having reliable, up-to-date flood hazard and risk data and maps, the President and Congress authorized and allocated funding to update the Nation’s flood maps through Map Mod.  When completed, Map Mod will impact millions of U.S. citizens nationwide.  The successful implementation of Map Mod will result in safer communities by providing more reliable, readily available, and easier-to-use flood maps and data for floodprone communities throughout the Nation.

Benefits

Through the Map Mod effort, FEMA is equipping community officials and citizens with tools that will enhance local decision–making, ranging from insurance to construction to disaster planning exercises.  Reliable, current flood hazard and risk data enable the end user to more accurately assess the level of flood risk within a community and to take appropriate measures to reduce their physical and financial vulnerability to flooding.  For example:

• Builders and developers will have access to more detailed information for making decisions on where to build and how construction can affect local flood hazards and risks.
• Insurance agents and companies, real estate agents and companies, and lending institutions will be able to serve their customers and communities more effectively because they will have easy online access to data/map updates and upcoming changes.
• Homeowners and business owners will have more accurate risk information so they will be able to make better financial decisions about protecting their homes and businesses.
• Community planners and local officials will have  a better understanding of the flood hazards and risks that affect their community and can consequently improve local planning activities.
• Communities in general, will be enabled to manange flood risks, water resources, land use, and other resonsibilities more effectively.

Resources

• The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology-Water Resources division Web site has a section devoted specifically to the Mississippi Map Mod Initiative. 
• The Map Mod section of the FEMA Web site contains more information on the FEMA modernization effort, including information on the FEMA policy for the use of digital flood hazard and risk data.
• You can view the videos that the Mississippi Coastal Mapping Project Team produced to explain the coastal engineering analyses.
• The Links section of this Web site contains other sources of Map Mod, NFIP, and Mississippi study production information. 
• The Resources page contains information on fact sheets, brochures, and other helpful documents. 
• A wealth of other resources, including the June 2007 Map Mod video, may be viewed or downloaded from the FEMA Library. The FEMA Library is a searchable web-based collection of all publicly accessible FEMA information resources.