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Why does the map say I’m in a high-risk area when my home is built on high ground?

Flood Insurance Rate Maps FIRMs cannot reflect every variation in the physical geography of an area. Therefore, a FIRM occasionally will show a property as being in a Special Flood Hazard Area SFHA, even though the building may be above the Base Flood Elevation BFE.

However, there is a mechanism for resolving such a situation. A property owner can submit property and elevation materials in support of a request for a Letter of Map Amendment LOMA to remove the property from the SFHA. This process involves the property owner and the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA. If the property is removed from the high-risk area, it is still at risk of flooding and flood insurance is highly recommended.

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