Welcome to Skagit County

August 10th, 2010

Preliminary FEMA flood maps now available online

SKAGIT COUNTY - The Department of Homeland Security's new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preliminary flood maps are now available online at www.skagitcounty.net. The maps provide detailed, aerial views of Skagit County with an overlay of newly released flood information, showing the areas and properties in Skagit County that may be affected by the possible 100-year flood.

To access the maps, click on the iMap icon located on the right-hand side of Skagit County's homepage.

From here, in the upper right-hand corner, select a region of Skagit County. Under "Select View," choose "FEMA Firm Layers - DRAFT." Once a map is produced, click on "View Legend" to determine the classification of each floodzone by color. Areas not colored are not in the floodplain on the new maps. iMap allows users to expand the map for a closer view of specific areas. The numbers produced within the floodplain zones indicate the estimated base flood elevations, from sea level, of floodwaters during a 100-year flood. A basic overview of each zone is described below:

Zone A: areas that will be affected by a 100-year flood, where flood elevations are not known but will most likely experience rising elevations of only one to three feet.

Zone AE: 100-year floodplain where flood elevations are known.

Zone VE: Coastal Flood.

Zone X: 500-year floodplain zone. These areas are not considered special flood-hazard areas and are therefore not subject to any regulations specific to flooding.

Crosshatched areas: floodway where development is either prohibited or very restrictive.

Users may also search the preliminary FEMA flood maps by parcel number or address to produce a more detailed and specific view of individual parcels.
The issuance of this study may directly affect many property owners, especially those with properties in identified flood hazard areas or behind a levee. Users with questions regarding the preliminary FEMA maps are encouraged to attend the upcoming open houses staffed by FEMA, County, and local community officials. For a list of dates and locations of the open houses, visit www.skagitcounty.net/Home/HTML/Press/080910.htm

For more information, contact Tim Devries at (360) 336-9410 ext. 3489.