What you should know about Flood Insurance and Flooding

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The National Flood Insurance Program Elevation Certificate and Instructions is now available from FEMA ( https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/160 ). It is a fillable PDF form. FEMA LETTERS OF MAP CHANGE (LOMC) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Flood Insurance Program, provided the table below of Letters of Map Change, effective August 19, 2014. For information relating to Letters of Map Change (LOMC) not listed on the tables shown, or to obtain copies of previously issued LOMR-F's or LOMAs, please contact FEMA Map Information eXchange (FIMX), toll free, at 1-877-FEMA-MAP (1-877-336-2627). FEMA Letters of Map Change: PDF here

In 1968 the Congress of the United States established the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to, among other things, assist communities implement floodplain management measures to reduce the risk of flood to new developments. FEMA is responsible for preparing Flood Insurance Rate Maps that show the flood zone areas for each community, including the City of Weston. The 100 year flood is the national standard upon which flood insurance requirements are based. While your property may no longer be in a flood zone the City urges all property owners and renters to purchase flood insurance to protect against the devastating loss that rising waters can cause. Even if flood insurance is not federally required, anyone can be financially vulnerable to floods. In fact, those outside of mapped high-risk flood areas file nearly 25% of all National Flood Insurance Program flood insurance claims and receive one-third of Federal Disaster Assistance for flooding according to FloodSmart.gov.

FEMA Finalizes Flood Maps

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has established that the effective date for the new Broward County flood maps would be August 18, 2014. The finalized maps will be used by insurance companies for flood insurance purposes and the updated base flood elevations must be used for all new construction and substantial improvements to existing construction.

» FEMA Map Service Center

The finalized flood maps reflect changes made by FEMA during the 90-day appeal process and are available for viewing by linking to the Broward County website below.

New Flood Maps

Currently, residents and businesses in Broward County are encouraged to view the new flood maps to better understand their potential flood risk and to help identify steps they may need to take to protect against property damage and loss.

Property owners should consider purchasing a flood insurance policy, even if it is not mandated for their location. All areas are susceptible to flooding, although to varying degrees. 

Before accessing the interactive map viewing tool, please read the following information and instructions.

Flood Zone Designations  

The following flood zone designation determines whether or not flood insurance is mandated.

Zone A	Flood insurance rate zone determined by approximate methods, as no Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are available for these areas. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply.
Zone AE	Flood insurance rate zone that corresponds with flood depths greater than 3 feet. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply.
Zone AH	Flood insurance rate zone that corresponds to areas of shallow flooding with average depths between 1 and 3 feet. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements apply.
Zone VE	Flood insurance rate zone that corresponds to coastal areas that have additional hazards associated with storm waves. Mandatory flood insurance requirements apply.
Zone X-Shaded 0.2 PCT Annual Chance Flood Hazard   Zone X	Flood insurance rate zones that are outside the flood plain or the average flood depths of less than 1 foot. Flood insurance purchase is not mandatory.

Interactive Map Viewing Tool  

You can use the interactive map viewing tool to find out if your home or business is in a flood zone. To use the tool, follow these steps:

1. Click on the search tool below.
2. Type in the address of your property in the area at the top right, above the map titled “Find address or place”, and click on the magnifying glass to search.
3. Use the tool on the left side of the map to zoom in and locate your property.
4. Click on your property and the FEMA Flood Designations box will let you know your current and proposed FEMA flood zone designation.

Search New Interactive Flood Map:
» Broward FEMA Flood Map Effective August 18, 2014

For additional information:
» Broward.org - New Flood Zone Maps for Broward County

This article is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to satisfy provisions of the Community Rating System (CRS) for reduced costs for flood insurance.

Homeowner insurance policies do not cover loss due to flooding. Weston participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, which makes coverage available to everyone in the City. Residents and business owners are urged to buy flood insurance to protect against potential devastating loss. Property owners may insure buildings and contents; renters may insure their possessions. Just because you haven't been flooded does not mean that it won't happen. Call your insurance agent today.

If you would like a copy of a FEMA flood map, you can order one on line at http://msc.fema.gov. There is also a toll free number to FEMA to obtain a flood map: 1-800-358-9616.

Who needs flood insurance? Your insurance agent handling your homeowner's insurance can provide you with information regarding flood insurance. Also, the National Flood Insurance Program can provide additional information by calling 1-888-CALL-FLOOD, or on the web at http://www.fema.gov.

The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) shows the flood zones for Weston. Insurance agents, lending institutions & community officials use the FIRM to determine the location of a specific property and the corresponding flood zone. Community officials use the information to administer flood plan management regulations.

If you would like to contact FEMA directly, the regional office for South Florida is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Their phone number is (770) 220-5400, or visit the FEMA web site. Their mailing address is: FEMA Region IV, Gulf Oil Building, 1371 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 736, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. While you are visiting the FEMA web site, be sure to use their site for links to storm watches, the photo library, and more. Also visit the City of Weston Hurricane Preparedness page that will give you additional information about preparing for and reacting to natural disasters; the link is at the bottom of this page.

  Flood Insurance Myths (PDF)
  Flood Insurance & Property Protection Flyer (PDF)
  2015 Summary of Changes to National Flood Insurance Program (PDF)

The City of Weston, in coordination with Broward County, has a warning system in place to alert residents to the potential flooding and its dangers. Residents will be notified via the City's CodeRED emergency telephone call system, the local government cable television channels, and posting on the City's web site, www.westonfl.org. Residents and businesses may register their land line and/or their cell phone numbers via the City's web site or by calling the City's Communications Department at
954-385-2000.

Flooding is always a potential threat to due to South Florida's sub-tropical climate. It is important to always be prepared and to take precautionary measures to minimize potential property damage caused by flooding by taking the few, simple steps:

Roadways and their drainage systems within private communities are owned and maintained by the community’s maintenance association, not the City of Weston. Response to and mitigation of flooding that occurs within these private communities is the responsibility of the community’s management company. In the event that flooding is so severe that a structure may be compromised, property owners may call the City’s Department of Public Works at 954-385-2600. Public Works will investigate the situation and determine if the cause of the flooding is the community’s drainage system or the City’s storm water management system, and take the appropriate action if any is needed. The City does not perform work on privately-owned drainage systems.

All development, including new construction, additions, renovations, alterations, repair/replacement work, signs, fences, fill and tree relocation and removal requires a permit. Please contact the Building Code Services Department at 954-385-0500 for assistance in obtaining the proper permit for your work.

Storm water enters the City's management system through catch basins. The City has a comprehensive preventive maintenance program whereby each basin on the City's public rights-of-way is inspected once per year and obstructive debris from within is removed. Property owners are urged to keep catch basin grates on or adjacent to their property clear of tree limbs, palm fronds, leaves and any debris that may obstruct the flow of water into the basin.

Storm water is managed through a system of interconnected lakes and canals which are regularly maintained by the City's Public Works Department. Constant, unobstructed water flow through these water bodies, especially during storm events, is essential to prevent flooding.

It is a violation of City and state laws to dump trash or introduce pollutants into the City's water bodies and wetland mitigation areas.

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