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Flood Hazard Maps Going From Paper to Digital Distribution
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North of Moorhead, Minn., the Red River on April 4 rises to the highest spring flood levels ever recorded, according to local officials. Photo: Mike Moore/FEMA | FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) announced recently that it is moving the National Flood Insurance Program’s flood hazard maps and data into the digital age and ending general distribution of paper maps on Oct. 1.
Users of paper maps should start planning to make a transition to digital flood maps and related flood insurance study reports now, FEMA said.
The conversion from paper to digital, the agency said, will enable it to spent more on the maps rather than paper and provide users with better, more flexible information.
The new digital tools are available to builders for a nominal fee at FEMA's Map Service Center.
The simplest digital maps to use are digital pictures of FEMA’s paper maps. The agency’s entire inventory of current and historical maps is available as FIRM Scans — or pictures of an entire map — that can be downloaded; they are also available on CDs and DVDs.
A specialized large-format printer is needed to create a paper copy of the whole sheet map provided as a FIRM Scan. However, for those who print on smaller paper sizes, tools are being provided to enable users to create an individualized flood map called a “FIRMette,” which is a portion of a FIRM Scan image formatted to fit on printers commonly found in offices.
FEMA is also publishing other map data and tools that users with experience in computer mapping systems can use to create custom maps or use with their own map data. These range from online map viewers that will be familiar to those who use Internet mapping sites, to data and services used with specialized Geographic Information System software.
Since it first started efforts in 2003 to modernize its map distribution system through online delivery of scanned maps, revisions and amendments, FEMA said that it has decreased the use of paper maps by 75% and increased new map panel production by more than 300%.
For more information, e-mail Ken Ford at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8228.
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