2016 Preliminary Flood Maps – News Release

New Preliminary Flood Maps

Released

June 30, 2016

In August, 2000, the State of North Carolina established the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program (NCFMP), with a mandate to update the floodplain maps for all counties within the State of North Carolina.  To formalize this effort, the State of North Carolina entered into a Cooperating Technical State (CTS) agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  With this designation, North Carolina was given primary responsibility and ownership of the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for all North Carolina communities by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The current FIRMs for Dare County, and the Town of Southern Shores, are dated September 20, 2006.  The County and the Town of Southern Shores received new preliminary FIRMs on June 30, 2016 which can now be viewed online. In addition, answers to frequently asked questions regarding the process may be viewed online.

To determine whether the flood zone for your property has changed, you can check both the current, effective flood map and the new preliminary map at the NC FRIS website listed above. Or if you live in or own property in Southern Shores, you may contact the Planning and Code Enforcement Department at 252-261-2394 ext. 4 and Town Staff will assist you with identification of the flood zone for your property.

Typically, the map update process takes 18 to 24 months to complete once the preliminary maps are released. Certain procedures must be completed before the preliminary maps can be finalized — this includes a 90-day appeal period for the maps and a 6-month compliance period in which local governments must adopt the new maps and update their local flood damage prevention ordinances.  The process is established by FEMA in cooperation with the NC Floodplain Mapping Program which will include local public workshops and other public meetings.