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Flood Information
The Floodplain administrator and Community Rating System (CRS) coordinator for FEMA flood Insurance is housed in the Building Department located at 555 S. Washington Ave. Flood insurance premium rates in Community Rating System communities are discounted in increments of 5%. A Class 10 community is not participating in the CRS and receives no discount. A Class 9 community receives a 5% discount for all policies in its Special Flood Hazard Areas, a Class 8 community receives a 10% discount, all the way to a Class 1 community, which receives a 45% premium discount. This office maintains copies of FEMA Elevation Certificates. Copies of all Letter of Map Amendments and Revisions (LOMA/ LOMR) from FEMA are also available.
For flood insurance questions, flood zone determinations, Base Flood Elevations, Elevation Certificates, Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) applications and floodplain permits please contact the Floodplain Administrator at (321) 567-3780.
The City will review FEMA LOMR-F applications at no additional cost. This removes the structure from the Special Flood Hazard Area, and the requirement to carry flood insurance for a Federally Insured Mortgage. The LOMR-F qualifies the structure for a Preferred Risk Flood Policy (PRP), if the owner chooses. The approved LOMR-F stays with the property from owner to owner indefinitely until the next FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is published. Each LOMA is then reviewed by FEMA to qualify with the new FIRM about every 20-25 years.
Floodplain Permit Procedures and Ordinances
FEMA Elevation Certificate - NOTE: The current version of the EC has an expiration date of November 30, 2022.
Available Elevation Certificates
Historic Elevation Certificates
FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
You can find Flood Zone, FEMA Base Flood Elevations (BFE), FEMA LOMA/LOMRs and more on the FEMA Digital Flood Insurance Map (DFIRM).
Click on one of these links:
FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map | Brevard County Flood Insurance Rate Map
The City will provide a letter of map determination to any interested party such as homeowners, realtors, insurance agents, and the general public. The letter will provide the latest floodplain data for a specific parcel within the City. The letters are provided upon request by calling the Community Development Department at (321) 567-3760. There is no cost for a letter of map determination.
NFIP Transformation and Risk Rating 2.0
FEMA is focused on building a culture of preparedness by closing the insurance gap. Recognizing that purchasing flood insurance can be confusing and time-consuming, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is redesigning its risk rating plan to improve the policyholder experience. We are committed to a NFIP that people value and trust; that is fair, understandable, and less complex to navigate.
Risk Rating 2.0 aims to accomplish this by leveraging industry best practices and current technology to deliver rates that are fair, easy to understand, and better reflect a property’s unique flood risk. FEMA - Risk Rating 2.0
Risk Rating 2.0 will fundamentally change the way FEMA rates a property’s flood risk and prices insurance. The current rating methodology has not changed since the 1970s. But since then, technology has evolved and so has FEMA’s understanding of flood risk. Currently, FEMA develops rates based predominantly on Flood Insurance Rate Map zone and Base Flood Elevation. With Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA is pairing state-of-the-art industry technology with the NFIP’s mapping data to establish a more comprehensive understanding of risk at both the community and individual level. FEMA - NFIP Transformation and Risk Rating 2.0
The new Risk MAP program discusses what the program can mean to communities. The Risk Map is intended for a variety of audiences, including state and community officials; homeowners, renters and business owners; real estate, lending, insurance professionals; engineers, surveyors and architects. FEMA - Risk Map
Flood Factor: Find your property's flood risk
Flood Factor® makes it easy for anyone to find their property’s flood risk– and that now includes annual flood damage estimates for residential homes.
Find your property's flood risk
General Local Flood Zone Information
Historically, even during major storm events, there has been little structural flood damage in Titusville. We have the Indian River Lagoon on our eastern boundary and the St. Johns River and Marsh to the west that poses flood hazards during severe rain events. The City is working continuously to minimize flood risks to you and your property. We want to make you aware of flood hazards and what can be done to minimize these conditions. Our staff of Engineers, Floodplain Managers, and inspectors has received special training that makes them a resource for you. They can help inspect your property to identify potential weaknesses that increase your risk of damage, and they can provide recommendations on things that can be done.
Each year, across the country, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. Why? The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Of these drownings, many are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn you the road is flooded. Whether you are driving or walking, if you come to a flooded road, Turn Around Don't Drown. You will not know the depth of the water nor will you know the condition of the road under the water.
Useful Links to Flood Insurance, Flood Zone Facts, and Emergency Information
Florida Division of Emergency Management
St. Johns River Flooding Hurricane Information
USGS River Gage Stations – Real Time River Gage Data
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides on-line access to river gauge stations along the St. Johns River, Turkey Creek, North Prong St. Sebastian River and Canal 54. These sites provide real-time data on river levels and flow rates, as well as historical data, to allow users to make informed decisions on flooding threats at any given time.
St. Johns River Near Cocoa, FL
Natural Floodplain Functions
Natural floodplains provide flood risk reduction benefits by slowing runoff and storing flood water. They also provide other benefits of considerable economic, social, and environmental value that are often overlooked when local land-use decisions are made.
Visit FEMA site to learn more about the benefits of natural floodplains
Floodplain Progress Report
Floodplain Management Plan Progress Report
Letters of Map Change
A floodplain permit requirement is that all new structures and projects in the Special Flood Hazard Area submit a LOMA or LOMR-F application as a condition for the Certificate of Occupancy (CO).
Structures that are elevated above the base flood elevation are eligible for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision - based on - Fill (LOMR-F) to have the structure removed from the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and the requirement to carry flood insurance. An Mt-1 application from FEMA must be submitted for a Letter of Map Revision. Information is provided at fema.gov or you can contact the Building Department at (321) 567-3760. This office will assist with and review all elevation certificates to complete the application. We now file LOMA and LOMR-F applications to FEMA on line, there is no charge for this service. Elevation Certificates must be done by a Registered Land Surveyor. Elevation Certificates are on file at the city for homes that were built in the SFHA. Filed elevation certificates are available for inspection upon request.
FEMA Mandatory Purchase of Flood Insurance
NFIP: This community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available for all buildings, whether they are in a floodplain or not. Flood insurance covers direct losses caused by surface flooding, including a river flowing over its banks, a lake or ocean storm, and local drainage problems.
The NFIP insures buildings, including mobile homes, with two types of coverage: structural and contents. Structural coverage is for the walls, floors, insulation, furnace, and other items permanently attached to the structure. Contents coverage may be purchased separately provided the contents are in an insurable building.
MANDATORY PURCHASE REQUIREMENT: The mandatory purchase requirement applies to all forms of federal or federally elated financial assistance for buildings located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). This requirement affects loans and grants for the purchase, construction, repair, or improvement of any publicly or privately owned buildings in the SFHA, including machinery, equipment, fixtures, and furnishing contained in such buildings.
Financial assistance programs affected include loans and grants from agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs. Farmers Home Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Small Business Administration, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. The requirement also applies to secured mortgage loans from financial institutions, such as commercial lenders, savings and loan associations, savings banks, and credit unions that are regulated, supervised or insured by Federal agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of Thrift Supervisions. It also applies to all mortgage loans purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in the secondary mortgage market.
Copies of the FIRM are available for review in most local government buildings or planning departments. Many lenders and insurance agents also have copies. It is the agency's or the lender's responsibility to check the FIRM to determine if the building is in an SFHA, although many communities provide assistance.
If the building is in an SFHA, the agency or lender is required by law to require the recipient to purchase a flood insurance policy on the building. The requirement is for structural coverage equal to the amount of the loan (or other financial assistance) or the maximum amount available, whichever is less. The maximum amount available for a single-family house is $250.00.
The mandatory purchase requirement does not affect loans or financial assistance for items that are not covered by a flood insurance policy, such as vehicles, business expenses, landscaping, and vacant lots. It does not affect loans for buildings that are not in the SFHA, even though a portion of the lot may be flood prone. While not mandated by law, a lender may require a flood insurance policy as a condition of a loan for a property in any zone on a Flood Insurance Rate Map.
FEMA Flood Insurance Cancellation/Nullification and Refund Policy
The new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for all of Brevard County was activated on March 17, 2014. Structures that are removed are eligible for a refund (reference #9 of the Cancellation/Nullification Policy). Another option is these properties are now qualified for a “Preferred Risk Policy” (PRP) which has the same coverage as a standard policy but at a reduced rate.
The refund also applies to a property owner who applies for and gets an approved LOMA or LOMR-F. FEMA will go back 12 months from the date on the LOMA and refund that premium in full (reference #19 of the Cancellation/Nullification Policy). The Cancellation/Nullification Policy and Form can be viewed for further cancellation and refund information.
Please check with your insurance agent for more detailed information or contact the Building Department at (321) 567-3760.
Contact Us
Floodplain Administrators:
- KB Ofosu, PE, CFM, Community Development Engineer kwabena.ofosu@titusville.com
- Steve Adams, CFM, Building Official steve.adams@titusville.com