Determining Flood Risk

How Can I Determine If I Am At Risk For Flooding?

It is important for every resident to know the floodplain classification for their property. FEMA publishes maps indicating a community's flood hazard areas and the degree of risk in those areas. To determine the risk for your specific property, call the following officials for your jurisdiction:

Floodplain Maps Online

To browse floodplain maps, visit:

• The Growth Management Map Atlas . Select Wetlands and Floodplains. Enter your Section-Township-Range.
• The Alachua County Property Appraiser's website. Select GIS Maps under searches on the left hand menu. (Hint: You must have your screen resolution set to 1024 x 768 in order to view the maps.) To view floodplain maps, select Fema_1996 under the layers menu on the left hand side of the screen.
• FEMA offers assistance to help find floodplain mapping. Contact a Map Specialist to assist you through email or by calling 1-877-FEMA MAP or visit www.fema.gov.
• Floodplain maps are also available from FEMA's Flood Hazard Mapping website.

Floodplain Development Permit Requirements

Any development in the floodplain requires a flood hazard area permit according to the Unified Land Development Code Ch. 406. If you need a flood zone determination, contact Alachua County Public Works at 352-337-6140 or the City of Gainesville Public Works at 352-334-5069.

If you need a FEMA elevation certification or suspect that illegal floodplain development is occurring call the Alachua County Building and Zoning Department at 352-374-5244 or the City of Gainesville Building Inspection Department at 352-334-5050.

Additionally, in accordance with NFIP standards, Alachua Co. Building Code requires if the cost of any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvements to a building equals or exceeds 50% of the building’s market value, such work is considered a substantial improvement . The existing building is then required to meet the same standards as a new building. For residential structures, these requirements typically mean raising the living area of the building to the base flood elevation.

Substantial Improvement Requirements

Substantial improvement shall mean any repair from damage or destruction, reconstruction, improvement, or additions of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the assessed tax value of the structure as is listed by the Alachua County Tax Assessors Office or by a certified appraisal. The assessed value of the structure shall be determined before the improvement is started, or if the structure has been damaged and is being restored, before the damage or destruction occurred.

Drainage System Maintenance

A community can lose a portion of its drainage system carrying or storage capacity due to dumping, debris, soil erosion and sedimentation, and overgrowth of vegetation. When this happens, flooding occurs more frequently and reaches higher elevations, subjecting properties otherwise protected to unnecessary risk of damage. Keep grass clippings and other debris out of stormwater storage and treatment capacity. Per county ordinance, it is illegal to dump trash and debris in drainage ways.

If you experience any localized drainage problems please notify the County Public Works Department at 352-374-5245 or 386-462-2147 or the City of Gainesville - Streets Division at 352-334-2161 so that the problem can be corrected.