FEMA – Flood Insurance Rate Maps

Denver Borough Council adopted Ordinance No. 628 to amend the floodplain regulations at their regularly scheduled meeting on March 28, 2016.  These regulations are in accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements and were to be adopted by April 5, 2016 in order to avoid suspension from the NFIP.  The new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps became effective on April 5, 2016.

Individuals may access FEMA’s website directly to view flood information for a specific property in Lancaster County.  Please follow the instructions below to view FIRM information.  This is public information.

• Go to http://msc.fema.gov/portal

• Enter the property address (include city, state, and ZIP).

• Under “Search Results” you will see the flood map number (for Denver Borough this number will begin with 42071C…).

• Click “View Interactive Map” besides this number (although you receive a warning that this link tales you to a non-FEMA website, the heading at the top of the page that opens reads “FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer (Official)”.

• At the top right corner of this page, again enter the property address (include city, state, and ZIP), and this will zoom to the property with a property marker and illustrate any associated flood information in the area.

To create an official “FIRMette” for a specific area, follow the first three (3) instructions above, then:

• Click “View Map”.

• On the next page that opens click “Make a FIRMette”.

• On the next page that opens move the pinkish box at the upper left of the map to the area in question.  (You also may choose a page size).

• When the box is placed, choose either Create FIRMette in either Adobe PDF or create an Image File.

• On the next page click “Save your FIRMette” at the top left of the screen.