FAQs • Port Orange, FL • CivicEngage

When the chance of occurrence of Flood in one year is 1%, it is OK right? It is only a meager chance isn't it?: Well, this chance of flood occurrence is designated as the Special Flood Hazard Area by FEMA in the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which is the highest hazard designation. This can cause confusion for people not familiar with statistics. Another way of looking at the same type of flood, by statistics, is that the chance of occurrence of the same flood some time during the life of a 30-year mortgage is 26%.

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Flood Protection

1. I want to apply for my Flood Insurance, now my insurance company is asking for an Elevation Certificate. Where can I get this?: City of Port Orange requires that all development permit applications for that in a Special Flood Hazard Area must be submitted with an Elevation Certificate. All the Elevation Certificates thus submitted are organized in the City's database. Anyone who is in need of an Elevation Certificate should call the Port Orange Engineering Division of Community Development at 386-506-5607.

2. My Insurance company says that I am in a Flood Zone, but I come to know from other sources that I am not in a Flood Zone, where do I find the correct information?: The City of Port Orange is authorized to provide the Flood Zone Information for any property within the City. Residents with questions regarding the flood zone of their property should call the Port Orange Engineering Division of the Department of Community Development for a Flood Zone determination at (386) 506-5665. In some cases a survey of the property may need to be provided for exact determination. The processing of Flood Zone determination requests is a service offered to residents of the City of Port Orange free of charge as part of the City's participation with FEMA in the NFIP.

3. What does it mean when you say my property is in a particular Flood Zone?: This information is based on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), which are developed after conducting a detailed Hydrologic Engineering analysis called the Flood Insurance Study. In this analysis the chances of occurrence of a flood are also determined statistically. For example, when we say that a property is in a 100-year Flood Zone, this means that statistically the chance of occurrence of Flood on this property is, in one year is 1% or greater and is never less than 1%.

4. What does it mean when you say that the Base Flood Elevation for my property is of this particular value?: Base Flood Elevation is the elevation of the crest of a 100-year flood. This elevation is there for your property only if your property is affected by a 100-year flood or worse flood. For example, if it is said that the Base Flood Elevation for your property is 7 feet. This means that 100-year flood or worse flood occurs on your property, and the crest height of the 100-year floodwaters on your property is 7 feet. The concept of Base Flood is to ensure that all properties are protected to the same degree against flooding.

5. When the chance of occurrence of Flood in one year is 1%, it is OK right? It is only a meager chance isn't it?: Well, this chance of flood occurrence is designated as the Special Flood Hazard Area by FEMA in the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which is the highest hazard designation. This can cause confusion for people not familiar with statistics. Another way of looking at the same type of flood, by statistics, is that the chance of occurrence of the same flood some time during the life of a 30-year mortgage is 26%.