It's Hurrican Season, do you have flood insurance?

P.O. Box 80333, Charleston, SC 29407/ Elloree, SC 29704
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brittsurveying@gmail.com (843) 766-2707
Britt Land Surveying, Inc.

Residential-Commercial-Plant/Mill Surveys Surveyor

FEMA

"I lived here all my life and it's never flooded"

Unfortunately we hear these words a lot. Living in the lowcountry is geographically a location that is susceptible to flooding for a number of  reasons. The number one reason that comes to mind is Hurricanes which can bring in storm surges that surpass expectations and cause much damage to your home or business.  The second is new development. New development can add imperious surface area which denies saturation and natural water flow.  Areas that have been uncommon flooding areas are becoming more and more susceptible to flooding. 

Insurance and Surveyors

Insurance company's use Elevation Certificates to rate your flood insurance premiums, therefore it is in your best interest to have a certificate that reflects the conditions of your home or business. The current FEMA Flood certificates contain questions on the openings around the crawlspace of the structure, how high are the openings and how many openings are around the structure. 

Flood certificates can be used from prior flood policy's,  but you don't know if it reflects the current characteristic's of the home or business for proper coverage ratings. 

Look up the flood zone for your home or business

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home

BASE FLOOD ELEVATION (BFE)

What is a BFE?

 

The computed  elevation to which floodwater is anticipated to rise during the base  flood. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are shown on Flood Insurance Rate  Maps (FIRMs) and on the flood profiles.

The BFE is the regulatory  requirement for the elevation or floodproofing of structures. The  relationship between the BFE and a structure's elevation determines the  flood insurance premium.

Various flood Zones

National Flood Insurance Progam (NFIP) regulations require coastal communities to ensure that build

Flood Zone Definitions

 

Zone C, Zone X          - Areas determined to          be outside 500-year floodplain determined to be outside the
                                  1% and 0.2% annual chance floodplains. 

Zone B, Zone X500 -  Areas of          500-year flood; areas of 100-year flood  with average depths of          less than 1
                                  foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile; and areas protected          by levees
                                  from 100-year flood.  An area inundated by 0.2% annual chance          flooding. 

Zone A          -          An area          inundated by 1% annual chance flooding, for which no BFEs have          been
                                  determined. 

Zone AE          -        An area inundated by 1%          annual chance flooding, for which BFEs have been
                                  determined. 

 

Zone VE          -        An area inundated by 1%          annual chance flooding with velocity hazard
                                   (wave action); BFEs have been determined.