It is important to investigate your flood risk status and contact your insurance agent to make necessay modifications to your coverage while the maps are still preliminary. The DFIRMs are being released on a community by community basis.

FEMA’s Risk Assessment, Mapping and Planning Partners (RAMP) is producing the DFIRM product in Frederick County. MDE is the Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) on three of these products in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Montgomery County. Currently, 4 of the 6 oldest floodplain mapping products are in production to be remapped. Using the schedule for map production in 2017, the average age of the DFIRM products in the Maryland is 4 years with 75% of the State at 3 years or less.

The improvements in spatial accuracy provided by the new base map, and the availability of electronic floodplain information should greatly enhance the ability to use the maps for planning, permitting, and insurance applications. The DFIRMs are digitally converted flood insurance rates maps that will be compatible with GIS (Geographic Information Systems). This site is designed to guide homeowners/renters as well as communities through the process of determining their current flood risk as well as future flood risk based on the preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs). The State of Maryland in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been systematically updating Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for communities over the past several years.

Fema flood map zone a