The State Office of the NFIP in Maryland has been a Cooperating Technical Partner with FEMA since 2004, acting as a liaison for Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) updates in 23 of Maryland’s 24 Counties (PG County is a separate CTP with FEMA). The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has been serving as the project manager for most of Maryland’s Counties during map production and has been providing technical support to FEMA and their contractors for any additional mapping work in coastal and RISK Map products throughout the State by providing support and integration of any local CTP initiatives or RISK Map projects.
The mapping projects underway have followed the State’s Floodplain Mapping Business Plan, which was accepted by FEMA in 2005 and most recently updated in 2021. Mapping updates in this process include: creating new hydrology flow points by verifying existing discharge values using regression equations for all detailed and approximate riverine models via a statewide GIS software program (GIS-Hydro); updating riverine structures that were accessible have been field verified, measured, photographed, and tabulated into a web enabled GIS data viewer for modeling purposes; creating new riverine models created utilized LiDAR topography for establishing geo-referenced cross-sections to create a HEC-RAS flood model for each mapped stream; and utilizing, distributing and receiving feedback and updates from the communities and agencies that permit activities within the floodplain is a vital next step in the process. Upon completion of these ongoing projects Maryland will have model backed floodplains in all 24 counties, and georeferenced models posted and available for download in 23 of 24 counties. (Note: Baltimore City is counted as a County due to the size, scope, and effort required to complete).
When MDE began the RISK map update process, the average age of the flood maps in Maryland was 18 years, and most of the studies were conducted in the late 1970's to the mid 1980's. Many of the older studies did not depict current conditions nor accurately estimate risk in terms of flood heights. Almost all flood maps were paper maps. The goal has been to produce D-FIRMS - completely digital products to allow different layers to be overlain in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Each county how has continuous coverage (towns are part of the county coverage), eliminating the problems associated with annexations.
An important aspect of DFIRM updates to the citizens of Maryland has been better estimation of the risk of flooding and more accurate determination of who needs flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Whenever maps are revised, based on better floodplain determinations, some property will move into the floodplain, while other property will be moved out of it. The ultimate objective, however, is to more accurately estimate the risk to all property. Flood maps are used by lenders, insurance agents, realtors, local officials, and property owners to determine flood risk and if flood insurance from the NFIP is required. All federally insured and regulated lenders must require flood insurance to secure any loans that they make on structures that are in the 100-year floodplain. The premiums for flood insurance policies are the responsibility of the homeowner, usually held in escrow by the lender. Anyone in a participating community can purchase flood insurance, if they wish. In Maryland, 116 communities participate in the NFIP, which is virtually all communities with land use authority, except for a few small towns.
