Click here to visit the Kentucky Flood Hazard Portal and determine whether your property is located in a Flood Hazard Zone.
Changing Your Flood Zone Designation
From FEMA:
If you believe your property was incorrectly identified as being in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), you may submit an application to FEMA for a formal determination of the property’s location and/or elevation relative to the SFHA. After FEMA reviews the map change request, it will issue a determination document, either approving or denying the map change. Below are the types of determination documents you can seek in your request:
- Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA): A letter from FEMA stating that an existing structure or parcel of land, which is on naturally high ground and has not been elevated by fill, would not be inundated by the base flood.
- Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F): A letter from FEMA stating that an existing structure or parcel of land has been elevated by earthen fill and would not be inundated by the base flood.
To complete these requests (LOMA & LOMR-F), applicants must use FEMA’s MT-1 Form. Click here to view this form and instructions on how to complete it. This form can also be used to request FEMA’s comments on a proposed project issued in the form of a Conditional Letter of Map Amendment (CLOMA) or Conditional Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (CLOMR-F).
- Letter of Map Revision (LOMR): A letter from FEMA officially revising the current NFIP map to show changes to floodplains, regulatory floodways, or flood elevations. Reference Code of Federal Regulations Title 44 Parts 60, 65, and 72. A community or individual can request a LOMR to update the Flood Hazard Boundary Map, Flood Insurance Rate Map, Flood Boundary and Floodway Map, or a Flood Insurance Study Report.
To complete this request (LOMR), applicants must use FEMA’s MT-2 Form. Click here to view this form and instructions on how to complete it. This form can also be used to request FEMA’s comments on a proposed project issued in the form of a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR). Please note that this form will be submitted to FEMA but will be reviewed by the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW).
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
From FEMA:
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is managed by FEMA and is delivered to the public by a network of more than 50 insurance companies and the NFIP Direct. The NFIP provides flood insurance to property owners, renters and businesses, and having this coverage helps them recover faster when floodwaters recede. The NFIP works with communities required to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations that help mitigate flooding effects. Flood insurance is available to anyone living in one of the almost 23,000 participating NFIP communities. Homes and businesses in high-risk flood areas with mortgages from government-backed lenders are required to have flood insurance.
Floodplain Permit Information
From Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW):
The Division of Water is authorized through KRS 151 to manage development in floodplains. Any type of development in, along, or across a stream requires a floodplain permit from the Division. Typical activities requiring a permit include, but are not limited to, residential & commercial structures, stream crossings, fill, stream alterations & relocations, excavation, grading, and small stream impoundments. State floodplain development requirements are outlined in 401 KAR 4:060 of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations. The Division of Water issues the following permits for floodplain development:
- The KY Floodplain General Permit (KY FPGP) approves development that does not change the Base Flood Elevation and has minimal flood risk potential. The KY FPGP permit lists 15 eligible activities listed that can be conducted under this General Permit. Some of these eligible activities include riparian buffers, below grade utilities, guardrails, fences, campers & RVs, open space uses, stream obstruction removals, below grade swimming pools outside the floodway, and more. Permittees utilizing this general permit are required to maintain a copy of the KY FPGP on site throughout construction.
- The KY Floodplain General Permit for Nonsubstantial Improvement of Structures (KY FPGP-NSUB) approves nonsubstantial improvements to existing structures per State and FEMA Federal Regulations. The cost of improvements including labor must be less than 50% of the structure valuation to be categorized as nonsubstantial. Permittees utilizing this permit are required to maintain copies of the KY FPGP-NSUB Permit, an itemized list of improvement repair cost and the structure valuation documents used to document Nonsubstantial Improvement categorization on site throughout construction.