Getting the Flood Zone Information You Need

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Whether you own or rent a residential or commercial building in the City, you should know what flood zone you are in, your property’s elevation, and what types of insurance are required for it.


	Look Up Your FEMA Flood Zone Fort Lauderdale residents can look up their FEMA Flood Zone in two ways: Use the City’s online Property Information Reporter. Simply enter your property address in the appropriate fields, then click “Go.” The Property Information Reporter will provide you with extensive information about your property, including your flood zone designation. Use our interactive GIS Application to see your zone on a map of the City. For general information about Flood Zones, you can visit the FEMA website.

	Learn About the Latest Updates to the FEMA Flood Maps FEMA has completed the first comprehensive review and update of flood zones throughout Broward County in 14 years, using a new “vertical datum,” that enables consistent comparisons of land and water elevations across the nation. Flood maps need to be reviewed periodically due to the dynamic nature of flood hazard conditions, the availability of updated elevation data, improved technology for identifying flood hazards and to account for developments that can affect flood zone boundaries. The new flood maps help community officials and citizens be better prepared for flood-related disasters by providing an official depiction of flood hazards for Fort Lauderdale and the rest of Broward County. The most recent maps went into effective in August 2014. See the FEMA Flood Zone Map. FEMA offers a fact sheet and overview of the coming changes. The agency also offers a wide variety of brochures on special topics and in other languages. Scroll to the bottom of this page for a list of recommended brochures.

	Get More Information About How the Maps Affect South Florida and Broward County Get additional news about FEMA Map updates by visiting Broward County’s Environmental Engineering & Licensing webpages. Here you will also see information about South Florida Water Management District’s efforts to achieve accreditation of the East Coast Protective Levee, which will impact FEMA’s modernization of Broward County’s flood zone maps.

	Get a Copy of Your Elevation Certificate There are several ways for you to get a copy of your elevation certificate. Contact the Department of Sustainable Development at (954) 828-6133 Send a written request to the Department of Services Development, 700 N.W. 19th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 Development Center. For more information, visit the City’s Department of Services Development.

	Learn about the National Flood Insurance Program Discount To help residents save money on their flood insurance premiums, the City of Fort Lauderdale participates in NFIP’s voluntary Community Rating System (CRS), which recognizes communities whose efforts go beyond the NFIP’s minimum standards. As part of the CRS program, the City implements and promotes public information and floodplain management activities regarding flood hazards, flood insurance, and ways to reduce flood damage. In exchange, the NFIP offers homeowners a discount on flood insurance premiums each year, which currently reflects a 20% savings for Fort Lauderdale residents.