Flood Insurance Rate Maps:
Harris County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have updated all of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Unincorporated Harris County. They have adopted the effective FIRMs dated June 18, 2007.
As a public service, Harris County Permits Group will provide you with the following unofficial floodplain map information upon request:
• Information indicating whether a property is in or out of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as shown on the effective FIRM of Unincorporated Harris County.
• Additional flood insurance data for a site, such as the FIRM zone and the base flood elevation or depth, shown on the FIRM.
• A handout on the flood-insurance purchase requirement that can assist those needing a mortgage or loan for a property in the SFHA.
For Inquiries Concerning Specific Properties:
The Harris Count Permits Group is open 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Call us at (713) 956-3000 or come by the Permits Office at 10555 Northwest Freeway, Suite 120. There is no charge for the service. The Permits Office also has completed Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Elevation Certificates for buildings receiving permits in the floodplain since September 1997.
If you would like to make an inquiry concerning a specific property, please provide us with the complete legal description (Subdivision, Section, Block and Lot and/or Survey Name with Abstract Number along with a copy of the metes and bounds), the street address, and Harris County Appraisal District Tax Identification Number.
Official Flood Plain Status:
For an official flood plain status of your property, you may contact a flood plain determination consultant. A list of Flood Zone Determination consultants can be found at http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/fzone1.shtm. An official determination is often required by mortgage and insurance companies. Information provided by this office is only for properties located in unincorporated areas of Harris County, Texas.
The above information refers to the Harris County Permits – Map Information Services. This information was reprinted from an article in the October 2011 Houston Realtor® Magazine).
