Being a resilient community was a major priority identified during the citywide visioning process. Fort Lauderdale will take a major step toward strengthening its resilience when new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) go into effect on Monday, August 18, 2014. The new flood maps will help the City and our neighbors plan future development and be better prepared for flood-related disasters by providing an official depiction of local flood hazards. By adopting the new flood maps, Fort Lauderdale is also assured that FEMA will offer assistance during emergencies and provide flood insurance coverage for City residents.

We want to make sure our neighbors are aware of the changes to the FIRMs, as numerous properties in Fort Lauderdale will be added to, or removed from, the Special Flood Hazard Area when the new maps take effect. The new maps may affect your need to purchase flood insurance, or the rate of your insurance annual premium.

To help neighbors reduce flood insurance rates and reduce the local flood hazard, the City of Fort Lauderdale voluntarily participates in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System. Through this program, the City implements numerous proactive activities that earn qualified neighbors a 20% discount on their annual premiums. In addition to implementing new flood maps, the City also adopted higher regulatory standards for future development. Updating our building standards in anticipation of future climate conditions will facilitate critical adaptation measures, and bring us closer to achieving our vision of being a stronger and more resilient community.