Map Modernization

Effective Dates for Updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps

York County has received preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) as part of the South Carolina Map Modernization Initiative. The maps will become effective officially Friday, September 26, 2008.

Lee County has received preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) as part of the South Carolina Map Modernization Initiative. The maps will become effective officially Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

Map Modernization General Information - FEMA

The citizens of the State of South Carolina face significant hazards from floods and hurricanes. In the past 12 years, more than $7 billion in damage has occurred from floods and hurricane events. As development continues across the state, the number of properties and citizens at risk to flood damage will increase.

South Carolina ranks 6th in the nation in the number of Flood Insurance policies in force. Under the National Flood Insurance Program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has produced maps of floodprone areas across the country. Historically, these maps were funded from revenue generated from these policies. These flood maps serve as a valuable tool to identify floodprone areas and guide development into lower risk areas. However, many of the maps for communities in South Carolina were prepared 20 or more years ago, with nearly 50% of all the maps within the State being 10-20 years old. The result is that many decisions on where to build in and around hazardous floodprone areas are being made with outdated information.

Through a Cooperating Technical Partner Initiative with FEMA, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, which administers the National Flood Insurance and Flood Mitigation Programs in South Carolina, plans to initiate a program to update flood hazard information for all communities in the state over a period of 5 years. This project is estimated to cost $37 million to complete and consists of the following major components:

Development of accurate high resolution digital elevation data
Development of updated flood hazard data
Development of an on-line information system for public access to flood hazard map information

The data developed as part of this project will prove valuable for a variety of local, State and Federal agencies. As a result, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will actively seek partners in this project to provide valuable insight as well as resources to ensure the project's success. In addition to FEMA, potential partners include the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, as well as State agencies such as the S.C. Emergency Preparedness Division, S.C. Department of Transportation, S.C. Geodetic Survey, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and many others. In addition, many local governments who have a strong interest in the data will be included in the project.