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Maine webinar outlines new digital flood maps, NFIP rating changes and local permitting duties
Summary
At a Municipal Planning Assistance Program webinar, Sue Baker of the Maine Floodplain Management Program reviewed FEMA''s new digital flood insurance rate maps, the 2022 overhaul of NFIP rating, and local permitting and enforcement responsibilities under state and federal rules.
At a Municipal Planning Assistance Program webinar, Sue Baker, coordinator of the Maine Floodplain Management Program, walked municipal officials and planning staff through recent changes to flood hazard mapping, the National Flood Insurance Program's updated rating system, and required local permitting and record-keeping for development in mapped flood hazard areas.
Baker said FEMA has converted many older paper maps to digital flood insurance rate maps (DFIRMs) built on aerial imagery and two-foot topography, and that coastal areas now use AE/VE designations tied to new engineering analyses. She described three core elements of the program: mapping, federally backed flood insurance, and locally enforced floodplain regulations.
The changes matter to property owners and local officials because the DFIRMs can alter where the 1% annual-chance flood (commonly called the 100-year flood) is mapped and because FEMA's 2022 Risk Rating 2.0 shifted how insurance premiums are calculated. "They set actuarially sound rates," Baker said of the 2022 rating update, noting that the new system uses factors such as distance to water, foundation type and first-floor height rather than relying solely on the flood zone designation.
Baker summarized practical impacts and requirements for municipalities: all development in mapped flood hazard areas requires a permit; communities must review and inspect permit work, keep elevation and permit records, and enforce compliance. Under both FEMA guidance and Maine practice, a building that is substantially improved or substantially damaged (50% or more of its market value) must be elevated or dry-floodproofed if nonresidential. Maine's standard requires at least 1 foot of freeboard above the base flood elevation; some coastal towns use 2 or 3 feet.
She described a two-part permitting practice for new construction and substantial improvements (initial approval followed by an under-construction elevation certificate and a final as-built elevation certificate before occupancy). Baker emphasized that accurate records are the community's primary protection during any FEMA review or when a letter of map amendment (LOMA) or letter of map revision (LOMR) is requested.
On mapping and tools, Baker said Maine's online flood hazard mapper includes overlays (two-foot topography and tax parcels where available) not always accessible through FEMA's national portals. She cautioned that the state mapper is a representation and does not replace an official effective Flood Insurance Rate Map for regulatory uses; officials should use the FEMA Map Service Center products for final determinations.
Baker covered technical standards used in coastal VE zones and AE zones, including allowable foundation systems (open foundations on piles, breakaway walls, or enclosed areas with automatic flood vents). She reiterated FEMA's standard for openings (one square inch of opening per square foot of enclosed area, with at least two openings on different sides preferred) and noted that manufactured homes must be anchored to a permanent foundation and cannot remain on wheels.
On enforcement, Baker warned that repeated noncompliance or impermissible variances can put a community on probation or suspended from the NFIP, which can affect property owners who are required by lenders to carry flood insurance. She said approximately 98% of Maine communities participate in the NFIP and that the Municipal Planning Assistance Program provides model ordinances, permit and application templates, and technical assistance.
Baker closed by pointing participants to resources including FEMA's local officials' guide (often referenced as FEMA 480), the FEMA website FloodSmart.gov for insurance information and agents, and the Maine program's online mapper and publications. Contact information for Baker and program staff was provided for follow-up technical assistance and training requests.
Ending: The webinar host, Tom Mariolo of the Municipal Planning Assistance Program, said the session and materials would be posted online and noted upcoming webinars on shoreland zoning and open-space planning.
