100-year floodplains in Henrico County are referred to as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) in the County code. The SFHA consists of FEMA regulated floodplain as well as County only regulated floodplain.
All development in SFHAs must meet the requirements of the County code and any applicable FEMA requirements. County only floodplains, which are depicted on the County GIS database, do not mandate a flood insurance requirement however development within these areas is regulated by the County code.
Henrico County’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) effective date is December 18, 2007. This is the map that is used by lenders to determine flood insurance requirements on properties. FEMA has well-established procedures for determining whether a structure is within a floodplain and for correcting floodplain boundaries.
Citizens with questions are encouraged to visit the FEMA web site at (FEMA.gov) the FEMA Map Service Center for general information (MSC.FEMA.GOV) or Floodsmart.com for flood insurance information. You can also contact the Design Division in the Department of Public Works for assistance.
CHANGES IN THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM
In July 2012, the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act was passed. This Act brings fairly significant changes to the National Flood Insurance Program, among them:
For a more complete description of the changes click here
FEMA issued a new version of the Elevation Certificate in November 2012. For a copy of the new Elevation Certificate with instructions, press here