Risk MAP produces two categories of products. 

Regulatory products are those that are used as the basis for official actions required by the National Flood Insurance Program.  They include these three items: 

• Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
• Flood Insurance Study (FIS)
• FIRM database products

Non-regulatory products supplement the flood hazard information produced by the regulatory FIRM, Flood Insurance Study, and database products. Both the general public and government officials are encouraged to use these free resources to help make better informed decisions about preparing for and mitigating flood loss.

They include: 

• Water Surface Elevation (WSE) Grids
• Depth Grids
• Percent Annual Chance Grid
• Percent 30 Year chance grid
• Changes Since Last FIRM
• Areas of Mitigation Interest

There may be additional flood studies that do not meet the definition of a regulatory product and may not be identified on a regulatory FIRM. This can include but is not limited to: Erosion Hazard Zone studies, Active Alluvial Fan designations, and flood after fire analysis. Training in the use of products, flood risk communications may also be requested by project communities.

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For more detail click on the following links:

• FEMA Risk MAP Products
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center
• What datasets are included with the Flood Risk Database? 

Here in Utah, Risk MAP is a collaborative process between FEMA, the State Division of Emergency Management (DEM) and local community representatives.

FEMA is responsible for the overall administration of the Risk MAP program. It provides funds to Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP), develops standards and guidance for its implementation, and reviews all Risk MAP products. Representatives from FEMA Region 8 often provide direct support to Utah projects. 

Utah’s Division of Emergency Management is currently Utah’s sole Cooperating Technical Partner.  By working through a local CTP like DEM, FEMA’s Risk MAP program achieves 1) better overall flood risk identification and community protection, 2) improved communications and community outreach, and 3) improved awareness of critical mapping needs. Utah DEM contracts private engineering firms to collect data, run hydraulic and hydrologic models, and create regulatory and non-regulatory products.   

Community officials help focus and prioritize the need for new projects, review the development of products for ongoing projects, and communicate project results to their colleagues and communities. We create Risk MAP products with floodplain managers, emergency managers, and community planners in mind as the primary users. 

A Risk MAP project can take up to 5-7 years to complete. Factors affecting project length include:

• The scale of study
• The number of stream miles
• The type of study (alluvial fan, riverine, coastal, or watershed modeling)
• The existence of pre-existing data provided by the community
• The length of time needed for the review by FEMA and/or community partners
• Whether or not there are community appeals 

Since the purpose of Risk MAP products is to aid communities in protecting lives and property, we need our flood risk products to be as technically accurate as possible. They should also reflect community knowledge and experience. To accomplish this there are a number of review stages throughout each project.

Community review stages:

1. Once the Risk MAP team and community have discussed mapping needs, the Risk MAP team develops a map of proposed enhanced study streams for the community to review.

2. During the Data and Product Development Phase, the Risk MAP team organizes meetings to explain and demonstrate the study process and results to date. These meetings may include a hydrology meeting, a flood risk review meeting, floodplain review, and a resilience meeting. Other meetings may occur as needed.   Due to the technical nature of the Risk MAP process, communities find it helpful to have their city or town engineer participate in meetings and reviews.

3. After the hydraulic and hydrologic modeling is completed, draft floodplains are delineated and mapped. The Risk MAP team holds a Flood Risk Review Meeting to give community officials the chance to review and provide early feedback on this draft information before the Preliminary MAPS (FIRMs) and FIS report and other flood risk products are developed.

4. When the Preliminary Maps (FIRMs) and FIS report are released, digital and paper copies are sent to affected communities for review and comment. They are also posted on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. Following Preliminary FIRM and FIS release, a Consultation Coordination Officer (CCO) meeting is held with community officials to discuss the process for the formal review and adoption of the floodplain study. 

5. There is a 90-day appeal period for communities with new or updated flood hazards. This begins after a public notification process is completed. During this period, communities or the public (through their community officials) can submit data to revise the FIRM if they believe it is scientifically or technically incorrect.

Utah Risk MAP technical review 

6. Each engineering firm hired by Utah Risk MAP follows a stringent QA/QC protocol for all deliverables. 

FEMA 

7. There are several key stages of each study when data is sent to FEMA for an impartial review and/or validation. FEMA checks topography, surveys, hydrology, hydraulics, floodplain mapping, base map, preliminary products, and final products. These reviews ensure that all products are consistent with FEMA mapping standards and standard engineering practices. 

High-resolution topography data is essential for developing a Risk MAP FIRM. To get 0.5 -1-meter resolution accuracy we use data gathered by an airborne LiDAR sensor. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light pulses from a laser and measuring the time and intensity of the pulse return to the sensor. 

From LiDAR point cloud collections, our Risk MAP team develops a Bare-Earth Digital Terrain Model (DTM).* Bare-Earth DTMs have had features above the ground surface (like trees) filtered out. These DTMs are essential for modern hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and floodplain delineation on high resolution topography data. 

Other essential data includes historic precipitation and flood history data, stream reaches, stream gage data, cross-sections, water control structures such as bridges, culverts, spillways, weirs, etc.

Any LiDAR data acquired for a Risk MAP project will be available from the Utah Geographic Reference Center. 

Hydrologic and Hydraulic models (H & H) models for effective maps are available at the FEMA Engineering Library.
For data related to ongoing projects, contact Jamie Huff, jhuff@utah.gov. 

The FEMA MAP Service Center houses historical FISs and FIRMs, LOMCs, preliminary maps, effective maps, map revisions, and GIS data. 

Absolutely! The Utah Risk MAP team works directly with community officials such as floodplain managers, emergency managers, city planners, and engineers. These community officials represent their entire communities to us as well as any individual property needs during the process.

At each stage of the mapping project, the process requires both data and anecdotal information from the community. If we receive and incorporate this information we incorporate it into our study.   Without this community input, there is a risk that mapped results may not adequately reflect the community’s flooding experience.

Click this video link to find out how local communities participate and provide feedback throughout the floodplain mapping process.

Below is a series of checklists itemizing community partner action items and project information needs for each Risk MAP phase.

1. Base Level Engineering Kickoff
2. Discovery
3. Phase 2 (Detailed Study) Kickoff
4. Hydrology
5. Hydraulics
6. Flood Risk Review
7. Resilience
8. Community Coordination and Outreach (CCO) Meeting

Click here for all checklists combined into one file.

Federally recognized Tribal Nations adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances on lands they manage and/or have land use authority.  They can opt to participate in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)--which includes Risk MAP--to help them do so.

Note the following about Risk MAP floodplain mapping on tribal lands:

• Tribal organizations can join the NFIP even if no flood hazard map exists for their tribal lands. Conversely, they may request floodplain mapping through Risk MAP without joining the NFIP.
• FEMA mapping data only will only represent floodplains and flood risk. There is no specific identification of buildings or sacred sites, although building and structural outlines may be present on aerial imagery.
• FEMA floodplain mapping projects result in a several flood risk datasets that can be used to protect environmental resources, make land use decisions, and prevent damages to members and tribal assets.
• There is no expectation that the tribe will join the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). However, it is important to note that FEMA maps may depict areas where flood insurance is mandated for federally-backed mortgages.
• FEMA mapping data can be used to join the NFIP or be used in local ordinances should there be an interest.
• The data behind FEMA maps can also be used for various grants and project applications with FEMA and other US federal agencies.
• Risk MAP projects are entirely funded by FEMA, there is no cost to the Tribe.
• No floodplain mapping or data collection will ever occur on tribal lands without the expressed interest on the part of the tribe.

Tribal representatives have three options for requesting new or updated floodplain maps:

1. They may become engaged in a funded regional project in which Utah Risk MAP is already planning to revise or create new maps. Utah Risk MAP manager Jamie Huff will let tribal representatives know when such a project is starting up.
2. They may request help directly through FEMA. Margaret Doherty is the point of contact at FEMA Region 8.
3. They may contact the State of Utah directly. The tribal liaison for the Utah Division of Emergency Management (and for Utah Risk MAP) is Anna Boynton.

Tribal Nations can always fund their own floodplain studies. In addition, there are other entities that can perform floodplain mapping, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers. However, if a digital Flood Insurance Rate Map  is desired, the results must conform to FEMA standards and be officially approved by FEMA.

If tribes are interested in the non-mapping elements of the National Flood Insurance Program, they may contact Matt Buddie at FEMA’s Region 8 or Tracie Harrison, Utah’s State Floodplain Manager.