FEMA and Floodplain Information

This site was developed in an effort to inform City of Naples residents about flood hazards, flood damage prevention regulations, flood insurance availability, and to provide access to flood protection, hurricane preparedness and the city's new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM).

The Floodplain Coordinator for the City of Naples works in the Building and Zoning Division and is responsible for implementation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Community Rating System (CRS). The City of Naples joined the NFIP in 1971 adopting the NFIP's regulations pertaining to floodplain management and flood damage prevention. The Floodplain Coordinator is responsible for enforcing the requirements of the Floodplain Management Ordinance as well as answering flood zone questions, floodplain construction requirements, and providing the public with hurricane and flood safety information. All other building code and zoning questions should be directed to the Building & Zoning Division at the number below.

FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the independent federal agency responsible for leading America's efforts to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. FEMA was formed in 1979 by executive order of the President, combining Federal programs that deal with all phases of emergency management, for disasters of all types, into a single agency. To achieve its vision, FEMA prepares the Nation for disasters by encouraging individuals, governmental entities, and public and private groups at all levels to become informed of the risks they face, to make decisions that help keep people, property, and institutions out of harm's way, and to possess the capability and knowledge needed to act when disasters occur.

FEMA Guidelines

Listed below are links to FEMA documents, bulletins and fact sheets related to a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). These can help contractors and residents understand which restrictions apply when building or renovating in a Flood Zone.

• Technical Bulletins for Building Safer Communities
• Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction

Elevation Certificates

If you are in need of a copy of an Elevation Certificate for a specific property, please contact the Floodplain Coordinator at 213-5039 to see if we have one on file. If an elevation certificate is not on file, you will need to contact a state registered land surveyor to provide an updated elevation certificate for you.

Got Questions?

Check the link below to "Frequently Asked 50 Percent Rule and FEMA Questions".

City Documents

Listed below are various documents we have available on our system in electronic format. Unless otherwise marked, these documents are in an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, and require the free Acrobat plugin to view. This plugin is available directly from Adobe's web site.

• 2007_Flood_Protection_Newsletter
  
• Damaged_or_detstroyed_non-conforming_structure
  
• Dry_Flood_Proofing
  
• Electrical_Requirements_in_Flood_Zones
  
• Elevation_Certificate_and_Instructions
  
• FEMA_Form
  
• Floodproofing Certificate
  
• Frequently_Asked_50_Percent_Rule_and_FEMA_Questions
  
• Hurricane_Preparations_-_Before_and_After_the_Storm
  
• Items_Restricted_Below_Base_Flood_Elevation_-_Zone_AE
  
• Items_Restricted_Below_Base_Flood_Elevation_-_Zone_VE
  
• Mitigation_Tax
  
• NABOR_Presentation
  
• Naples Generator Guidelines
  
• Naples_Generator_Guidelines
  
• Restrictions_Below_Base_Flood_Elevation
  
• Sample_Residential_Appraisal
  
• What_Residents_Might_Expect_After_a_Major_Hurricane
  

Historic Homes

Do you have a Historic Home? Are you thinking of remodeling, renovating or adding an addition? Did you know that "historic structures" may be exempt from the "Substantial Improvement" requirements? If the improvements to a historic structure meet the following (3) criteria and are approved by the community, the building will not have to be elevated or flood proofed. It can also retain its pre-FIRM flood insurance rating.

1. The building must be a bona-fide "historic structure". Definition of Historic structure means any structure that is:

(1) Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting requirements for individual listing on the National Register:

(2) Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district:

(3) Individually listed on the Florida inventory of historic places, which has been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or

(4) Individually listed on the Florida inventory of historic places, which has been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or

a. by the approved Florida program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, or
b. directly by the Secretary of the Interior.

2. The project must maintain the historic status of the structure. If the improvements to the structure will result in it being removed from or ineligible for the National Register or federally-certified state or local inventory, then the proposal cannot be granted and exemption from the substantial improvement rule. You will be required to seek written review and approval from either the State Preservation Officer or a certified local historic preservation board. If the plans are approved, the exemption can be granted. If not, no exemption.

3. Take all possible flood damage reduction measures.
   Even though the exemption to the substantial improvement rule means the building does not have to be elevated to or above BFE, or be renovated with flood-resistant materials that are not historically sensitive, many things can and should be done to reduce the flood damage potential.