FLOOD MAPS & INSURANCE CHANGES

As of the 30th December 2020, the current Effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) became effective: herein refer to as Flood Maps. Several homes within the City of Lake Jackson and it’s ETJ are now clearly or unclearly geographically shown to be in the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA): primarily Zone AE. Whereas, were once clearly shown not to be in the SFHA on flood maps in effect since 1989/1993. Insurance agencies and possibly mortgage lenders, have already started sending notification letters to primarily home owners who have federally backed mortgages, addressing  the adverse impact on flood insurance rate being these homes are now shown (clearly or not) to be in high-flood risk areas as opposed to before being  in moderate to low-risk areas prior 30th December 2020. The City would  like to  inform residents of steps that can be taken to verify and then, if need be, demonstrate to the insurance agencies and/or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that their homes are actually not in the SFHA as the current effective flood maps inadvertently geographically show them to be. The City recommends residents who have not received a letter because they do not have a federally backed mortgage but recognized (view maps here: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home) that their homes are now clearly or unclearly shown to be in the SFHA, to follow these steps also. Residents whose homes / structures were raised above the natural ground after the current effective flood maps became effective on 30th December 2020, need not follow these steps but instead, contact the City’s Floodplain Administrator @ 979-415-2413 or asanchez@lakejacksontx.gov for further pertinent guidance.

STEP 1
Call your insurance agent and /or lender 

Call your insurance agent and/or lender to determine if an Elevation Certificate, showing the lowest natural ground (LNGRND) elevation adjacent home to be above a determined base flood elevation
(BFE), will suffice or a “Flood Zone Determination Letter” from the City’s Floodplain Administrator will also be required, to obtain the lowest transferable flood insurance Preferred Risk Policy rate. Or, if an official “Letter of Map Change” from FEMA will be needed to obtain an even lower-cost flood insurance Preferred Risk Policy rate. If you are aware of or determine after executing step 2 that the LNGRND is below the BFE, then that verifies your home is indeed in the SFHA. You may then decide not to execute the other steps and possibly discuss with the insurance agent of ways to lower the flood insurance rate. Can also contact the City’s Floodplain administrator to further discuss.

STEP 2
Obtain/Submit Letter of Flood Zone Determination and/or Elevation Certificate

If home clearly or unclearly shown on current Effective Flood Map(s) to be in the SFHA and after consultation with the insurance agent have determined that an Elevation Certificate is needed, solicit a Registered Professional Land Surveyor or a Professional Engineer (Professionals) to provide one and submit it to the insurance agency and Floodplain Administrator. If a “Flood Zone Determination Letter” is also required by the insurance agency or by choice, request one from the City’s Floodplain Administrator. The Floodplain Administrator will in turn provide you a packet including the letter, copy of your Elevation Certificate, pertinent flood map panel, and any other pertinent information. Consult the yellow pages and/or do a google search for Professionals’ contact information or contact the Floodplain Administrator for a listing. Shop around to see which one of these professionals can provide this service at an affordable cost or cheaper for a community neighborhood group.

STEP 3
Request / Submit for Letter of Map Change (LOMC)

If the elevation certificate shows the elevation of the lowest natural ground adjacent to the home higher than the determined BFE and you have decided to request a LOMC (Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA)) to officially remove the single home / structure from the SFHA once all criteria have been met, you can pursue doing so online free of charged at: https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/onlinelomc. It can take up to 90-days for FEMA to provide a LOMA determination. Alternatively, can solicit one of the professionals to do so on your behalf or to pursue a much faster process by requesting for an eLOMA. Within minutes the professional can provide you with an official FEMA LOMA if all the required information is provided in the correct formats. Shop around to see which one of these professionals can provide these services at an affordable cost or cheaper for a community neighborhood group.

While the City cannot promise that your flood designation will change or that your insurance premium will not rise, we are committed to helping our residents through the process. Please contact the City’s Floodplain Administrator with any related questions at: (979) 415-241 3 or asanchez@lakejacksontx.gov

RESOURCE:

FEMA Flood Plain Website@ https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps