Updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps became effective on December 7, 2018
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.- (Thursday, December 20, 2018) The Updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that were released in June went into effect on December 7, 2018. Information about the new effective maps can be found in the Berkeley County GIS web-based desktop mapping service, available at http://gis.berkeleycountysc.gov/, and official FIRM panels are available to view and download from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search.
These maps will determine the flood insurance premium of homes in Berkeley County, depending upon the zone the home is located. There are six zones in Berkeley County, zone X, shaded X, AE, V, VE and A. In addition, applicants submitting plans and plats for review by the Planning and Zoning Department will need to contemplate and refer to these new maps.
Those who were not in a flood plain before, but have been mapped into one now may be required to buy insurance. If the flood elevation has gone up, the rate may increase. However, those who are no longer in a flood zone may no longer need flood insurance, or could see a decrease in flood insurance premiums.
