Mapping

FEMA provides flood hazard and risk data products to help communicate flood risk and inform mitigation actions.

Flood Insurance Rate Maps

To help communities understand their flood risk, FEMA develops flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps, FIRMs) to show the locations of high-risk, moderate-to-low risk and undetermined-risk areas. These maps and flood boundaries are developed through geographical and historical data, and using hydraulic and hydrologic analysis. These are the maps used by citizens, government, insurance agents and banks to determine the risk of flood and whether flood insurance is required.

FEMA Map Service Center

The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of NFIP. You can use the MSC to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better understanding flood risk.

The Flood Map Changes Viewer includes the National Flood Hazard Layer, preliminary Changes Since Last FIRM (CSLF), the Preliminary Map Comparison Tool, and the pending National Flood Hazard Layer. The consolidated viewer provides a single location to access flood hazard data across several data life stages and facilitates a better understanding of potential changes coming to flood hazard risks. 

  • National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer: Using this tool, you can use the address search or map navigation to locate an area of interest and the NFHL Print Tool to download and print a full Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or FIRMette (a smaller, printable version of a FIRM) where modernized data exists.
  • Changes Since Last FIRM (CLSF) Viewer: The Changes Since Last FIRM (CSLF) dataset provides information on changes made to the floodplain and floodway boundaries resulting from an updated flood mapping study. This dataset helps community officials to easily visualize changes in flood risk through color shading to highlight areas where the floodplain and floodway have increased or decreased. The CSLF dataset can help community leaders, planners, and other municipal staff understand which areas are now at greater risk and should, therefore, be targeted and prioritized for mitigation projects. With this information, community officials can also educate residents and business owners about steps they can take to minimize their risk from this natural hazard.
  • Preliminary Map Comparison Tool: Provides the public an early look at their home or community‘s projected risk to flood hazards. Preliminary data may include new or revised Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM), Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports, and FIRM Databases.

Tennessee Property Viewer

The State of Tennessee Strategic Technology Services (STS) - Geographic Information System (GIS) provides this website to allow for searching and displaying property ownership and location of flood hazard information. The website is available for 85 of Tennessee’s 95 counties.  If your county is not listed on this website, please visit your county’s website to obtain your local property information.

Instructions:

  1. Go to the TN Interactive Map website.
  2. Choose a county.
  3. Choose a search type: Parcel number, Owner Name, Property Address, and Subdivision.
  4. Click Search.
  5. Click Show FEMA DFIRM Flood Map. This will show if any special flood hazard area exists on the property which would be the blue shaded area.
  6. In addition, you can click on the Aerial Photography button to see the location of structures and access points.