FEMA updates flood zone map, raising projected flood elevation
January 2, 2025
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Construction costs in Midtown likely will jump now that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has updated its flood zone maps, raising the required ground elevations for future construction.
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The Dec. 20 update continues to display the flood zone encapsulating the western portion of Palm Beach, roughly stretching from Sunset Avenue to Sloan’s Curve, as a special flood hazard area. It raised the base flood elevation for most of that area from 6 feet to 7 feet, according to the flood zone map.
That means any new construction project in the zone must have a ground floor that is seven feet higher than sea level to reduce the likelihood of flood damage should a major flooding event occur.
The higher base flood elevation also affects major renovation projects through FEMA’s “50% rule,” a policy that requires projects in a special flood hazard area to employ the most recent flood mitigation protocols, such as raising a building’s elevation, if the project’s cost exceeds 50% of the building’s market value before the improvement started.
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The only buildings within special flood hazard areas that can opt for an exemption from the 50% threshold are properties that have been landmarked, or historically recognized by Palm Beach’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, The Florida Division of Historic Resources or the National Register of Historic Places, according to FEMA.
Homeowners also can appeal their additions to the flood hazard determination, so long as they apply before the new maps are adopted. But they may only do so if the repairs preserve the historic character of the building, the town ordinances state.
The 50% rule is not limited to homes in special flood hazard areas, as according to town ordinances, Palm Beach is allowed to enact similar regulations in areas not delineated as a special flood hazard area, if the area’s ground elevation is below the “closest applicable base flood elevation.”
Beyond its impact on construction, the new base flood elevation also is expected to increase flood insurance premiums for properties below the new base flood elevation, since a property’s elevation is a key factor used to rate an insurance policy, according to FEMA.
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Property owners in special flood hazard zones are required to have a flood insurance policy, unless they’ve received an exemption.
The town also saw a small stretch of land near the Atlantic Coast between East Inlet Drive and Onondaga Avenue switched from a special flood hazard zone to a low-risk flood zone. It’s all part of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, a voluntary program in which counties and municipalities adopt FEMA’s flood mitigation standards and requirements, as a means of receiving discounted flood insurance premiums.
The more policies adopted, and the more property owners willing to opt in to the program, the larger the discount. Currently Palm Beach residents receive a 20% discount on their flood insurance premium, according to the town’s website.
To view the updated maps, visit www.townofpalmbeach.com/292/Flood-Maps-and-Information.
Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected].
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