Preliminary FEMA Floodplain

As part of their continuing effort to provide the best available information to localities and the public on areas which may be impacted by flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has recently completed a multi-year project to re-examine Goochland County’s floodplain maps. The new maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), have been released for public view. Please be aware these maps are still preliminary and show an early look at your property’s projected flood risk. If your property is affected by these changes, you will receive a letter from Goochland County that includes who to contact if you would like additional information.

Mapping Resources

Goochland has added the Preliminary FEMA Floodplain to our Goochland County GIS Online Parcel Viewer. The 100-year floodplain is the area that has a 1% annual chance to experience flooding from a storm event.

Paper copies of the Preliminary Maps are available to view in the Community Development Office and at the Goochland Library.

Other resources are:

How will these changes affect you?

Please use this time to understand your property’s flood risk and research your flood insurance options. While reviewing the preliminary maps, we encourage you to determine whether your property falls within Floodplain, also known as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). If you have a mortgage from a federally regulated lender and your property is in the SFHA, you are required by Federal law to carry flood insurance when these flood maps are put into effect.  

We recommend all owners in a SFHA obtain flood insurance.  We recommend that you use this time to contact your insurance agent and learn about options offered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).  An additional resource for property owners, both with and without a mortgage, is https://www.floodsmart.gov/, which provides information about the National Flood Insurance Policy (NFIP) and the costs of flood insurance.