Originally published 3/7/2018
Now you’re in a flood zone, now you’re not
As you may have heard, FEMA has been updating flood maps for our area. On February 16th of this year, FEMA provided the City of Savannah with a Letter of Final Determination on our flood zone updates. The new maps are scheduled to take effect in Chatham country on August 16th.
Depending on where you are, you may be happy or unhappy with the new flood zones.
How can I find out if my flood zone is changing?
Residents of Chatham country can access the Savannah Area Geographic Information System (SAGIS) at www.sagis.org.
1. Scroll down to the section titled More SAGIS Map Viewers.
2. Click on the link Find my Floodzone in Chatham County.
3. On the screen that pops up, scroll down the big left hand bar until you see Step 1: Find my Address
4. On the map area to the right, click on the magnifying glass and enter your address. Press enter to center the map on your address.
5. Scroll down the big left hand bar until you see Step 2: Identify my current flood zone. After a few moments, the map area to the right will display a color coded overlay that shows your current flood zone.
6. Scroll down the big left hand bar until you see Step 3: Identify my future flood zone. After a few moments, the map area to the right will display a color coded overlay that shows what your new flood zone will be.
In other areas of Georgia, you can access the Georgia Flood Map, located at map.georgiadfirm.com.
What if a flood zone line crosses my property?
The most important thing to know is if the flood zone line crosses any portion of your home. Your flood insurance risk will be determined by the riskiest flood zone that touches your house. For example, if most of your property is in flood zone X, but just a little bit of one corner of your house is touching an AE zone, then your house will need flood insurance at the higher risk AE level.
What do I do if it looks like my flood risk is changing?
First and foremost, contact your insurance agent. Depending on the specific elevation of your property, you may be able to have a surveyor prepare an elevation certificate that you can use to request a Letter of Map Amendment. If you don’t have a surveyor, the Daniels Team will be happy to recommend one for you. Click here to contact us.
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