The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FEMA and its partners develop and provide flood hazard data and maps in support of the NFIP. Recently, FEMA led an unprecedented effort to update these flood hazard maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) into a digital format. This FEMA-led effort to create digital versions of the FIRMs is referred to as Map Modernization (Map Mod). FEMA is building on the Map Mod effort by implementing its Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk MAP) Strategy. New flood studies/mapping projects undertaken as part of Risk MAP build upon data developed under Map Mod to continually improve the flood hazard and risk information provided to communities.
Watershed Approach
The HUC 8 maps depict watersheds that use an 8-digit hydrologic unit basis (HUC-8) and are used by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in their watershed and natural resources program. FEMA is using these HUC 8 maps as a basic reference as they develop a watershed approach for flood mapping and mitigation planning as part of the Risk MAP strategy.
To read more about how the NRCS uses watersheds and the watershed approach in their programs, click here to read a fact sheet from NRCS.
To view a map of HUC 8 watersheds in Region IV, click here.
Coastal Analysis and Mapping
BakerAECOM is also supporting FEMA’s efforts to study and remap the flood hazards along the coastline of the southeast United States. For information on this effort, please visit www.southeastcoastalmaps.com.
Contact Information
For information regarding ongoing Risk MAP projects, please contact:
Sean Roche
2835 Brandywine Road, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30341
678-459-1008