What are flood zone maps?
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) show what areas of the community are at a greater risk of flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) first “mapped” the flood risk in the Las Vegas Valley in the mid-1980s. Our population at that time was just over 500,000 – today our population is about 2 million. Many changes and growth in our community have happened since that time. As the Regional Flood Control District designs and builds flood control improvements, detailed analysis of an area is studied. Most of the time with the completion of flood control projects, the improvements lower the flood risk enough to remove high risk flood zones. FEMA is the final determination regarding the type of flood zone an area is designated.

Why am I being required to purchase flood insurance?
If you have a home loan (mortgage) and that loan is backed by the federal government (through the banking system), flood insurance is mandatory. When a home is purchased in a high risk flood zone, the government wants to protect their investment. They mandate that flood insurance be required as a condition of the loan.

What is a high risk flood zone?
A high risk flood zone has the official designation Zone A on the FEMA flood maps. Another term for Zone A is a 100-year flood zone. This means that your home has a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year. In addition, FEMA states that whether you are in a high risk flood zone or not, your home has a 26 percent chance of being damaged by a flood during the course of a 30-year mortgage, compared to only a 9 percent chance of fire. Your homeowners insurance covers fire damage. Shouldn’t you also be covered for flood damage?

When must I purchase flood insurance and how much will it cost?
You won’t be required to purchase flood insurance until the map revisions are finalized by FEMA. We anticipate that by the end of 2010. However, this is really important, if you purchase flood insurance now, not only will your property be protected from a currently recognized flood risk, the amount you pay will be far less – about $350 a year ($250,000 structural coverage/ $100,000 contents coverage). Once the maps become effective, your $350 rate will continue for the rest of your policy year, and then it will increase to about $900 a year. IF YOU WAIT until the maps are effective, you could end up paying about $1,700 a year (structural coverage only).

What does the flood insurance policy cover?
The flood insurance policy covers the house/structure – structural damage in a flood. You can also include coverage of the contents of your home (damage to furniture, appliances, etc.). Flood insurance does not cover damage to your yard or outside furniture.

How do I find an agent to write the policy?
FEMA has a list of trained agents on their website at www.floodsmart .gov. We can also mail you a list if you do not have computer access. Our advice would be to start with your current insurance agent that writes your homeowners policy.

Doesn’t my homeowners insurance policy cover flooding damages?
NO… A homeowners insurance policy only covers water damage from appliances inside the house or rain that enters the house through the roof/ceiling. Floodwater entering the home from the street/ground is not covered by a homeowners policy.

How much does it cost?
If you buy flood insurance before the map change is final (anticipated Summer 2011) it will cost about $350 or less. When the maps become effective, it will change to about $900. What is most important here – if you WAIT until AFTER the maps are effective/final – wait for notification from your lender – the price could be around $1,700 a year. (EXAMPLE AMOUNTS – price could vary based on site conditions and available documentation)

When will the flood insurance policy take effect?
Your coverage begins 30 days after you purchase the policy.

Why will my flood zone designation change – my house has never flooded?
In order to minimize the flood risk in Clark County, we decided to re-study the majority of the Las Vegas Wash. Advanced technology and improved modeling techniques showed the flows through parts of the wash are much larger than earlier calculated. This new information was sent to FEMA. They are reviewing it and are the final determination if the flood zone should change.

Are there plans to build drainage facilities to remove the flood zone?
Our Master Plan has money programmed for design and construction of about $45 million. We anticipate improvements being made within the next seven to eight years.

Where does my money for flood insurance coverage end up?
The flood insurance policy is a contract with the Federal Government through an insurance company. The Federal Government (FEMA) is the “agency” that pays claims due to weather related flood damage. Nationwide, FEMA has underwritten more than 5.4 million policies with annual collections of $2.5 billion. During Hurricane Katrina alone, the Federal Government paid out more than $15.6 billion in claims (more than 6 times their annual collection).

What does the term Grandfathering mean in relationship to flood insurance?
Grandfathering is a term used to secure lower flood insurance premiums subsequent to a flood zone designation changing. How much you can save depends on several factors with one being the age of your home. If your home was built before your community was issued their first FIRM, requirements for Grandfathering are much more stringent and, therefore, purchasing prior to the map change is critical. To find out when your home was built, click on the link here and type in your address.

Contact Us
You may e-mail or call the Flood Control District at 685-0000 with any other questions you might have.