City of Niagara Falls Flood Insurance Policies

In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in response to the rising cost of taxpayer funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods.  The City of Niagara Falls is a participant in the National Flood insurance Program.

 The NFIP makes Federally backed flood insurance available in communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. National Flood Insurance is available in more than 19,000 communities across the United States and it’s territories. 

Basic home insurance won't cover you

When flooding does occur, it can lead to financial upheaval or ruin if you don't have the proper kind of insurance. In this case, a basic homeowner's policy won't do. You need flood insurance.
Flood insurance is a special policy backed by the federal government, with cooperation from local communities and private insurance companies.

More than 18,000 communities, including the City of Niagara Falls, have agreed to stricter zoning and building measures to control floods. Residents in these communities are entitled to purchase flood insurance through NFIP.

About 200 insurance companies, possibly including the company that already handles your homeowner's or auto insurance, write and service the policies for the government, which finances the program through premiums.

The average flood policy premium is about $350 a year; some people in low-risk zones can obtain flood insurance for as little as $106 a year.

What is the National Flood Insurance Program?

The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended, requires federally insured or regulated lenders to require the purchase of flood insurance on all financed buildings (structures) that are located in a special food hazard area. The law requires flood insurance in an amount equal to the outstanding principal balance of the loan (less estimated land cost), or the maximum limit of coverage available under the Act, whichever is less. It also requires flood insurance to be maintained for the life of the loan.

The NFIP was designed to benefit both individual property owners and communities. It enables property owners to purchase flood insurance at reasonable rates.

While the law only requires coverage for the loan balance, you should consider protecting your own equity. It is wise to insure primary residences or businesses in sufficient amounts to fully protect your property.

What is a Special Flood Hazard Area?

Under the Emergency Phase of the NFIP, FEMA issued Flood Hazard Boundary Maps (FHBMs) to flood-prone communities. FHBMs provide approximate delineations of areas subject to inundation by the base (100-year) flood. These areas are known as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs).

The boundaries of the SFHAs shown on an FHBM are based on one or more of the following:

• Information about past floods
• Regional flood depth/drainage area relationships
• Floodplain maps published by other Federal agencies
• Simplified hydrologic and hydraulic calculations

Detailed analysis and field surveys are generally not performed for the preparation for an FHBM. As a result, the floodplain boundaries are considered approximate, and the SFHAs are designated “Zone A”. The City of Niagara Falls’s Office of Environmental Services is responsible for determining the flood hazard area for individual parcels.

How to Determine if you are in a Special Flood Hazard Area

You can find maps on hand at your local library or go to the office of Environmental Services, which is located on the third floor of City Hall. If you have any questions or need further assistance you can contact the Office of Environmental Services at (716) 286-4462 or 286-4460.

How to Challenge your Flood Zone Classification

If you feel as though you do not agree with the flood zoning and want to challenge the map, the Federal Insurance Administration (FIA) has created and efficient procedure by which a property owner can submit elevation materials (obtained by a elevation certificate) in support of a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) removing the property from the special flood hazard area. The process involves only the property owner and the FIA.

Keep in mind that until you the owner have received a Letter of Map Amendment or Letter of Map Revision, the lender must rely only upon Flood Hazard Boundary and Flood Insurance Rate Maps. If a particular piece of property is shown as being in a special flood hazard, the lender is bound by the information and must apply the insurance purchase requirements of the 1973 Act in accordance with the map.

However, even though a lender is not required to compel the purchase of flood insurance with respect to improved real property that is subject to a letter of map amendment or map revision, the lender has the discretionary right to continue to require flood insurance if the lender chooses to do so.

Purpose of The Elevation Certificate

You can obtain an Elevation Certificate from the Office of Environmental Services. The Elevation certificate is to be completed by a privately hired land surveyor, engineer, or architect who is authorized by law to certify elevation information.

The Elevation Certificate is required in order to properly rate buildings constructed after publication of the Flood Insurance Rate Map. As a requirement of the NFIP, elevation must be taken of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new and substantially improved buildings, and maintain a record of such information.

The Elevation Certificate is and important administrative tool of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is to be used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances, to determine the proper insurance premium rate, and to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment or Revision.

For more information on the Elevation Certificate, visit the FEMA website. To download a copy of the new Elevation Certificate, please visit http://www.fema.gov/library/elvinst.htm.

 

For Additional Information on the National Flood Insurance Program

More information on the National Flood Insurance Program is available by visiting www.fema.gov/nfip. This website provides a wealth of information on the NFIP that is explained in detail and is not covered on this site.

If you have any questions or need further assistance you can contact the Office of Environmental Services at (716) 286-4462 or 286-4460.

City of Niagara Falls
Office of Environmental Services
745 Main Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14302-0069

 

The Bergholtz Creek Flood Hazard Area

In 1999 the City of Niagara Falls in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers conducted a detailed study of the Bergholtz Creek special flood hazard area. As a result, the approximately 400 properties were removed from the special flood hazard area. The results of study, and subsequently the revised Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) became effective July 5, 2000. Notifications were sent by mail in January of 2000.

If you live in the Bergholtz Creek area and are currently paying flood insurance there is a good possibility that you are no longer in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). As such your lender may be able to discontinue your requirements to carry a flood insurance policy. The lenders typically require a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) and a revised copy of the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). These materials can be obtained by calling the Office of Environmental Services at (716) 286-4462.

The Gill Creek Flood Hazard Area

In 2000 The City of Niagara Falls again hired the Army Corps of Engineers to study the special flood hazard area of Gill Creek. The results are still preliminary but it is estimated that over 250 properties will be removed from the Special Flood Hazard Area. This study must still be verified and approved by FEMA. It is hoped that the reduced flood area will become effective by late 2001.

 

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