Can I build in a
floodplain?
Yes, with a plan
approval from our floodplain department.
Can I build a fence in
the floodplain?
Yes, with permission
from our floodplain department.
Am I in a floodplain and
what zone am I in?
The property is located
by the following assessor information - address/parcel schedule number
- and the flood insurance rate maps provided by (FEMA) federal
emergency management agency for participating communities. These maps
are currently online at FEMA's website (gis1.msc.fema.gov/website/mscstore/viewer.htm.
How are floodplains
determined?
Through engineering
studies done by FEMA in participating communities; participation is
voluntary.
What is the NFIP?
National flood
insurance program - a federal program allowing property owners in
participating communities to purchase insurance protection against
losses from flooding. The program reduces flood damage through
community floodplain management ordinances. The communities and dates
they joined the federal program are as follows: Colorado Springs-1986,
El Paso County-1986, Palmer Lake -1978, Monument -1986, Manitou
Springs-1984, Green Mountain Falls-1985, Fountain-1985, Calhan-1986,
and Ramah-1986.
What is a 100-year flood
plain?
The federal definition
is - an area of land that would be inundated by a flood having a 1
percent chance of occurring in any given year.
Who needs flood insurance
and can it be purchased by anyone?
It can be purchased by
anyone in participating communities (communities that belong to the
federal program). It is required for those people who have buildings
in a defined 100-year floodplain and if there is a federally
guaranteed mortgage or business loan for the property.
What do I have to do to
get out of paying flood insurance?
Prove through a survey
and Letter of Map Amendment (single property) or Letter of Map
Revision (multiple properties) that the individual properties
(structures) are above the base flood elevation on the property or the
structure itself is not in. This will do one of two things: reduce the
cost of flood insurance or waive having to purchase it.
