New FEMA maps put 63.7% of Fort Lauderdale in high‑risk flood zone; city outlines steps to limit insurance impacts

Fort Lauderdale’s Infrastructure Task Force heard a presentation on new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps that take effect July 31, 2024, and that substantially expanded the city’s Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

Mark Haggerty, floodplain manager for the city’s Development Services Department, told the committee the updated maps increased SFHA acreage in Fort Lauderdale from about 11,311 acres in 2014 to about 14,800 acres in 2024, raising the share of the city in the high‑risk zone from 48.7% to 63.7%. “If we don’t participate, we don’t get any federal funding,” Haggerty said, describing participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as tied to eligibility for federal grants and disaster assistance.

The change means many more properties will be classified as having a 1% annual chance of flooding (the “100‑year” floodplain) and that mortgage lenders may require flood insurance for properties newly mapped into the SFHA. Haggerty said 13,853 structures are now inside the SFHA under the new map, and that the city currently has 34,764 flood insurance policies in force generating roughly $16 million in annual premiums.

Why it matters: The remap affects insurance costs and building requirements across the city and interacts with long‑term planning and capital projects. The presentation also laid out the city’s path to protect residents from rising premiums by pursuing better Community Rating System (CRS) discounts, which reduce flood insurance rates for policyholders.

What was presented: Haggerty summarized the FEMA remapping process — a multi‑year effort that includes hydrology/hydraulic studies, lidar, and outreach — and explained appeals procedures for property owners and other stakeholders. Appeals require technical data and must be filed within FEMA’s appeal window, he said. He described the NFIP’s role and the purpose of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and noted that remapping typically occurs on roughly a 10‑year cycle.

Haggerty described the city’s CRS standing and ambitions. Fort Lauderdale currently holds a CRS Class 7 rating, which yields about a 15% discount for policyholders; the city aims to reach Class 5 (25% discount) and is exploring whether it can reach Class 4 (30%) without imposing building restrictions that would “stifle the economic engine of the city.” He said staff will seek a consultant to pursue CRS improvements and that a budget amendment to secure funding for that contract appeared on the city’s consent agenda.

Committee concerns and staff responses: Committee members and staff discussed several practical and technical matters:

- Appeals and evidence: Haggerty emphasized appeals must include engineering or elevation data (for example, an elevation certificate) and cautioned that anecdotal claims (“I’ve lived here 40 years and never flooded”) are not sufficient for FEMA appeals.

- How flood elevations are calculated: Members asked why base flood elevations vary across nearby properties; Haggerty said the mapping breaks the city into subbasins and relies on multiple data sources and hydrologic modeling. He recommended contacting FEMA mapping experts for basin‑level technical explanations.

- Insurance and costs: Haggerty said the average policy discount currently equates to about $72 per policy annually on average (noting averages mask large variation) and noted the NFIP’s federal exposure: “This program is $28,500,000,000 in debt at the federal level,” he said, summarizing federal program limits and long‑standing program challenges.

- Floodproofing and inspections: The presentation addressed floodproofing for commercial and mixed‑use buildings. Haggerty said FEMA teams have found many floodproofed buildings still flood because human intervention (installation of panels, etc.) is required and not always performed. The city has instituted an annual inspection program for floodproofed commercial buildings.

- CRS tradeoffs: Committee members pressed on the tradeoffs between gaining CRS credits (for example, by preserving undevelopable open space) and other city goals such as park facilities. Haggerty said some credits require deed restrictions or permanent open‑space commitments and warned that building facilities on parks can reduce CRS credit.

Decisions, directions and next steps: The task force agreed to keep flood maps and CRS strategy as an ongoing item under old business while staff proceeds with these immediate steps:

- Provide the committee with the consultant solicitation and, once contracts are executed, share scope and timelines. - Produce a consent‑orders status update at the next meeting (committee asked specifically for an update on all consent orders and regulatory actions affecting water and sewer infrastructure). - Continue public outreach and offer to return to present to civic associations and advisory boards.

Context and background: The Infrastructure Task Force traces to 2017 infrastructure failures and consent orders tied to sewer incidents. Haggerty said FEMA’s outreach process for Broward County included multiple public meetings in 2019; preliminary maps and appeals consumed years, and the final map went into effect July 31, 2024. He explained that base flood elevations vary across the city (examples ranged from roughly 5 to 13 feet in different locations) and that property‑level elevation certificates are the basis for some appeals and lender determinations.

What the city said about impacts: Haggerty provided statistics the task force requested: the city’s land area (~23,239.5 acres), SFHA acreage increases (11,311 acres to 14,800 acres), the new SFHA share (63.7%), 13,853 affected structures, 34,764 active NFIP policies, roughly $16 million in annual premiums, and an approximate $166 million in claims paid historically (data in Haggerty’s slides lagged behind the most recent flood events). He stressed the value of participation in the NFIP to keep federal grants and disaster assistance available to the city and residents.

Ending: Task force members asked staff to return with the solicitation and consultant materials, continue community outreach and to provide a consent‑order status update at the next meeting. Haggerty left business cards and offered to meet individually with residents to review property‑level questions and elevation certificates.