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1. What is the National Flood Insurance Program?

The City of Falls Church participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available for all buildings, whether they are in the floodplain or not. Flood insurance covers direct loss caused by surface flooding, including a river flowing over its banks, a lake or ocean storm, and local drainage problems.

The National Flood Insurance Program has an arrangement with private insurance companies to sell and service flood insurance policies. There are 2 types of flood insurance coverage exist:

• Contents: Contents coverage may be purchased separately provided the contents are in an insurable building. Your local insurance agent can describe the breadth of coverage and restrictions.
• Structural: Structural coverage is for the walls, floors, insulation, furnace, and other items permanently attached to the structure.

2. Do I have to purchase flood insurance?

If your building is located in Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and federal or federally related financial assistance is associated with the building then you must purchase flood insurance. If you purchased, constructed, repaired, or improved a structure within the SFHA with federal monies derived (in totality or only in part) through federally backed loans or grants then this mandatory purchase flood insurance applies. This requirement also applies to machinery, equipment, fixtures, and furnishings contained in such building.

The requirement also applies to secured mortgage loans from financial institutions, such as commercial lenders, saving and loan associations (e.g., savings banks, and credit unions) that are regulated, supervised, or issued by federal agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of Thrift Supervision, which is to say most mortgage lenders. It also applies to all mortgage loans purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in the secondary mortgage market.

3. How do I know if my property is in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)?

Before a person can receive a loan or other financial assistance from one of the affected agencies or lenders, an elevation certificate must be obtained to determine if the building is in a SFHA. The SFHA is the base (100-year) floodplain mapped on a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). On a FIRM areas contained within zones that begin with the letter "A" are considered within SFHA. Copies of the FIRM are available for viewing at:
City of Falls Church Department of Public Works
300 Park Ave.
Falls Church, VA 22046

Many lenders and insurance agents also have copies.