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Flood prone area maps, also know as flood insurance
rate maps or flood boundary maps, show areas that
are subject to flooding based upon probability. In
the United States the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) produces and distributes these maps
for all 50 states.
In the example map above, from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania,
the areas in black are within the 100 year flood boundary.
This means that they have one chance in 100 of being
flooded in any given year. The wavy lines crossing
the flood prone areas with numbers on them are base
flood elevation lines. These show the elevation of
the 100 year flood at that location.
The main use of flood prone area maps is in real
estate lending and insurance. Federal law requires
that all homes purchased with a mortgage be evaluated
for flood hazard. If they are within the 100 year
flood boundary then flood insurance is required for
the term of the loan. This protects banks and their
depositors against large flooding events that could
wipe out the savings and economic base of an entire
community.
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