What does FEMA have to do with flood plains?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) carries out emergency management programs that help communities nationwide to prepare for disasters, including floods, and deals with their aftermath. FEMA also administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). To determine the risk of flooding, FEMA maps flood plains and prepares study to identify areas of likely flooding based on existing development and flood control facilities. Areas with a 1 percent (1 in 100) chance, or more, of flooding in any one year are in a 100-year flood plain. This does not mean that flooding will occur only once every 100 years. Several 100 year size floods could happen in any 100 year period, or a 100-year flood may not occur for several hundred years. These 100-year flood plains are mapped as Special Flood Hazard Areas.
