Cape Coral begins three-part series on floodplain management, NFIP and CRS implications

City officials on March 12 began a three‑part briefing for the Cape Coral City Council on floodplain management, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Community Rating System (CRS).

The presentation, led by Building Official Shane Kittenorf and Floodplain Manager Sofia Saiz, sketched the mechanics and practical effects of FEMA flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs), base flood elevations and local development rules. Kittenorf said the series is intended to help the council decide later whether to remain in the CRS program and, if so, whether to seek a different CRS rating.

Saiz told the council the “special flood hazard area” is FEMA’s term for areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding and that Cape Coral’s primary flood exposure is coastal storm surge; riverine flooding from creeks and the Caloosahatchee River also occurs. She identified VE, coastal AE and inland AE flood zones and warned that being outside an SFHA (an X zone) does not eliminate flood risk: “One in four claims submitted to the NFIP are from structures in the X zone,” she said.

Kittenorf reviewed Cape Coral’s FIRM history (1981, 1985, 2008 and 2022) and noted that map updates are driven by FEMA studies and its resource timetable; he said revisions can take several years. Using post‑Hurricane Ian high‑water marks, staff compared observed flood heights to the different FIRM baselines, and showed some parts of the city exceeded the base elevations used on older panels. Kittenorf said design requirements for new construction remain the base flood elevation plus one foot, per ASCE 24 and the Florida Building Code, but noted federal guidance under consideration could change some federally backed mortgages to base elevation plus two feet (that change was on hold until Feb. 20, 2026, staff said).

Council members asked whether FIRMs include tidal timing and how often FEMA updates maps; staff said FIRMs use still‑water heights and the FEMA schedule depends on its resources but historically takes many years between large updates. Kittenorf and Saiz also reviewed map appeals and the 90‑day comment/appeal window followed by a six‑month adoption period that makes maps effective for insurance and building standards.

Staff said the March presentation was Part 1 of a three‑meeting series. Part 2 will explain how the CRS program awards credits that reduce residents’ flood insurance premiums; Part 3 will present policy options and seek council direction on whether to retain the city’s CRS participation and whether to pursue additional credits to lower insurance costs.