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About the Floodplain Overlay District
We would like to answer questions we have received regarding the floodplain hazard overlay included in the Lynn Zoning Rewrite.
About the FEMA Map Update
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for mapping the nation's flood risk. Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), also known as the 100-year or 1% annual chance floodplains, are depicted on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). SFHAs are areas where floodplain management regulations are enforced and where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies.
FEMA has released updated maps based on new topographical data for the Northern portions of Lynn that expand our SFHAs. These maps go into effect on July 8, 2025 regardless of whether the Council votes to adopt them.
Community Meeting
Every 10 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updates floodplain maps using elevation data and flood-risk modeling. For communities to maintain residents' eligibility for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), FEMA requires formal acknowledgement of the new maps.
Affected property holders are encouraged to attend our community meeting on July 1st at 6:00pm at the Grace United Methodist Church, designed to inform residents about the FEMA process and their appeal rights regarding the updated floodplain maps.
Is my home in a SFHA? What does that mean for me?
Click this link to search for your property on this FEMA map of current and pending SHFAs.(External link) If your property is in a colored polygon, you are in an SFHA or will be as of July 8.
If you are in an SFHA, you will be required to purchase flood insurance as a prerequisite for receiving any type of direct or indirect federal financial assistance (e.g., any loan, grant, guaranty, insurance, payment, subsidy or disaster assistance) when the building or personal property is the subject of or security for such assistance. This means that flood insurance is mandatory for you if your structure is located in the SHFA and you have a federally backed mortgage (note: most mortgages are federally backed).
You can search for a flood insurance provider and access other resources here.
What if I disagree with the map?
You can file a request for a revision or amendment directly with FEMA.
What is the Floodplain Overlay District?
The Floodplain Hazard Overlay District is one portion of the proposed zoning code that the Planning Board and City Council are considering tonight. To summarize, this policy requires any development occurring in a SFHA to receive a permit that ensures it is not worsening flooding in the City and that new construction meets appropriate standards given the flood risk.
This is considered a best practice for managing flood risk, and is a policy that the City has had in its zoning code for some time. In exchange for adopting this best practice, the City can participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides a number of benefits, including assistance in the event of a disaster, access to federally subsidized flood insurance, and access to grant funds to mitigate flood risk.
If the City repeals the Floodplain Overlay District, the new maps are still in effect on July 8, 2025. However:
All residents and businesses in Lynn would become ineligible for flood insurance through the NFIP, and presumably private insurance rates would increase.
Federal financial assistance for construction, acquisition, and disaster relief in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) would be unavailable to affected property owners.
Federally backed mortgages and loans would be jeopardized for properties in SFHAs.
To learn more about the floodplain overlay, visit the Planning Department's website.