Click to View New Flood Hazard Map 

Resources

• City of Fairfax Floodplain Ordinance
• Floodplain Permit Application

FEMA Flood Plain

The City of Fairfax participates in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). As a participating community, property owners in the City of Fairfax can purchase insurance through this Federal Government program to protect against losses from flooding. In conjunction with this program, the city is provided with a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) that shows the limits of Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). The SFHA is an area of land that would be inundated by a flood having a 1-percent chance of occurring in any given year. The city's community FIRM map panel number is 515524 0005B.

For most mortgage transactions involving a structure in the United States, the lender will review the NFIP maps for the community to determine if the property structure is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area. If it is determined that the structure is in the SFHA, the borrower is notified that flood insurance is required as a condition of receiving a loan. A similar review and notification is conducted when a loan is sold on the secondary loan market or when the lender completes a routine review of its mortgage portfolio.

In some cases where a property is located very close to the Special Flood Hazard Area, further survey work and analysis may reveal that the building structure is outside the floodplain limits. If new information shows that a structure is not in the flood hazard area, owners may request a letter of map amendment (LOMA).

For questions regarding the cities FIRM map, residents can contact the Program Manager by email at Satoshi.Eto@fairfaxva.gov.  

For information relating directly to the National Flood Insurance Program, refer to the FEMA website.

Official Flood Plain Map

The City of Fairfax Zoning Code refers to the City's Official Flood Plain Map. On February 11, 2003, City Council adopted the FEMA Flood Plain Map as the official City Flood Plain Map. Development issues relating to the Zoning Code and all Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection and Management areas are determined based on the official City Flood Plain Map. For more information, see the Zoning Map.

For information on the City Flood Plain or for other assistance, residents may call (703) 273-6073.