The Northwest Florida Water Management District's (NWFWMD) Flood Information Portal provides access to view SFHAs mapped on the Effective FIRM for Leon County. Information provided here is for informational purposes only and the official and latest FEMA FIRM should be consulted for flood insurance and regulatory determinations.
To identify a community's flood risk, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducts a Flood Insurance Study (FIS). FEMA uses the data included in the FIS to create the detailed digital flood hazard map, also referred to as a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). The FIRMs outlines some of the community's different flood risk areas, or Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), and are used when determining flood insurance policy rates. More information on the SFHAs shown on the FIRM can be found on our Defining Flood Risk page.
Leon County and the City of Tallahassee's first maps in the 1970's focused on the main drainage ditches and creeks where water level information was available. As our community grows, the maps are updated as we gain better information about how different storm events may affect property and as we learn about risks in previously untracked areas.
Residents and businesses can view the maps to better understand their potential flood risk to help identify steps they may need to take to protect against property damage and loss. It is important to note that a flood map isn't intended to be read like a road map with definite limits to a floodplain as changing weather patterns, erosion, and development can affect floodplain boundaries.
Is my property in the floodplain ? The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is an official public source for flood hazard information. The Effective FIS and effective and historic FIRMs for Leon County can be viewed or downloaded through the MSC. A FIRMette, or an official copy of a portion of the FIRM, can also be created for effective or historical FIRMs. Instructions are available on the MSC website.
Leon County Development Support & Environmental Management (DSEM) also maintains paper copies of the effective and historic FIRMs and Flood Insurance Studies. These can be viewed in person at the DSEM office located on the 2nd Floor of the Renaissance Building at 435 North Macomb Street. Flood Map Information for a specific parcel can be obtained over the phone by contacting the DSEM's Environmental Services Division at 606-1300.
Additional information on current mapped risks shown on the FIRM or other potential risks not shown on the FIRM can be obtained by contacting Environmental Services at Leon County's Department of Development Support and Environmental Management.