Floodplain Facts
News & Announcements
County-wide Vulnerability Assessment
Through this project, the community will be better informed of the potential loss or damage to critical community assets. Using the information gathered from the vulnerability assessment, the County will be able to formulate an adaptation plan which will include recommendations for projects to make St. Johns County more resilient to flooding and sea level rise.
What is a vulnerability assessment?
A vulnerability assessment (VA) helps a community measure potential impacts from flooding and sea level rise and identify structures, infrastructure, people, and natural resources that may be affected.
How will this project benefit the County?
Through this project, the community will be better informed of the potential loss or damage to critical community assets. Using the information gathered from the vulnerability assessment, the County will be able to formulate an adaptation plan which will include recommendations for projects to make St. Johns County more resilient to flooding and sea level rise. In addition to providing the County with a comprehensive assessment of flood risk. Completing the VA according to criteria outlined in Florida statute qualifies St. Johns County for additional project funding through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
Project Funding/ FDEP Resilient Florida Program
- Vulnerability Assessment Cost: $500,000
- Funding: FDEP Resilient Florida Program (100%)
- Recommended Projects: TBD
- Funding: FDEP Resilient Florida Program, Other State Federal Grant Programs, Local Capital Improvements/ Program Budgets
Project Updates
Meetings and other community engagement opportunities will be scheduled to occur periodically throughout project. Check back here for posted dates, location, and topics.
Project Schedule
| Vulnerability Assessment Project Schedule | |
|---|---|
| Task | Completion Date |
| Kick Off Meeting | November 2022 |
| Aquire Background Data | March 2023 |
| Exposure Analysis | May 2023 |
| Sensitivity Analysis | July 2023 |
| Identify Focus Analysis | December 2023 |
| Final Vulnerability Assessment Report | January 2024 |
Contact
Westly Woodward
wwoodward@sjcfl.us
Risk Rating 2.0: Equity in Action
FEMA is updating the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) risk rating methodology through the implementation of a new pricing methodology called Risk Rating 2.0. The methodology leverages industry best practices and cutting-edge technology to enable FEMA to deliver rates that are actuarially sound, equitable, easier to understand and better reflect a property’s flood risk. More information is available on FEMA’s website www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/risk-rating.
St. Johns County’s NFIP Rating Provides Insurance Discounts for Some St. Johns County Property Owners
St. Johns County has been designated as a CRS Class 5 community based on an assessment of numerous flood mitigation activities the County recently implemented to protect lives and reduce property damage. The rating provides a 25 percent discount to property owners who hold National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood policies in Special Flood Hazard Areas on or after October 1, 2020. Additionally, a 10 percent discount will be applied to all standard-rated NFIP flood insurance policies in X zones. The discount is automatically applied and property owners can locate the discount on their NFIP policy declaration. The designation places St. Johns County within the top 17 percent of all CRS-participating communities in the state of Florida for 2020. The National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (CRS) is a program created by FEMA that recognizes local efforts to reduce flood risk within the community and rewards residents and businesses by saving them money on flood insurance premiums. For more information, please call 904.827.6800 (Option 5).
Attention Insurance Agents & Lenders
If you are in need of a FIRM (Flood Insurance Rate Map) Determination letter (to determine the current Flood Zone information for a property), a Historical FIRM Determination letter (to determine what Flood Zone a structure was built in originally), or a Community Acknowledgment Letter, please complete the Multi-Use Application and send your request to our Floodplain Management Team at GMFloodplain@sjcfl.us or call (904) 827-6800 (Option 5) with questions. Turnaround time is 3 business days or less. There are no fees for this service.
Don’t know your Flood Zone?
To find out if a property is in a Special Flood Hazard you can search by address or parcel with the SJC Flood Zone Viewer.
You can also find a wealth of information in the SJC iMap including Evacuation Routes, Flood Hazards, Storm Surge Zones, Costal Construction Control Line, Wind Borne Debris Areas and much more.
For an official floodplain determination, questions about CRS and/or file copies of Elevation Certificates, please contact our Floodplain Management Team.
Floodplain Development Permit Requirements
Any development in the floodplain requires a construction permit. If you suspect that illegal floodplain development is occurring call the St. Johns County Code Enforcement at (904) 827-6800.
Local Flood Hazards
The Local Flood Hazard Flooding in St. Johns County is primarily caused by heavy rainfall in short periods of time, commonly associated with thunderstorms, and from seasonal high tides. The greatest flood threats come from tidal surges that accompany coastal storms, tropical storms and hurricanes. For local precipitation data reports, visit the St. Johns County Water Management District.
Flood Insurance
For many people, their home and its contents represent their greatest investment. Property losses due to flooding are not covered under most standard homeowners’ insurance policies. You can protect your home and its contents with flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The NFIP is a federal program established by Congress in 1968, which enables property owners to buy flood insurance at reasonable rates in participating
communities. In return, participating communities conduct flood management measures designed to protect life and property from future flooding.
The NFIP is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Federal Insurance Administration (FIA). St. Johns County has participated in the NFIP since 1973.
To find out more about flood insurance for your property and its contents, contact your insurance agent. There is a 30-day waiting period before a flood insurance policy takes effect, so don’t wait until a storm threatens before purchasing the flood insurance you need.
Drainage System Maintenance
A community can lose a portion of its drainage system carrying or storage capacity due to dumping, debris, soil erosion and sedimentation, and overgrowth of vegetation. When this happens, flooding occurs more frequently and reaches higher elevations, subjecting properties otherwise protected to unnecessary risk of damage. Keep grass clippings and other debris out of storm water drainage systems to prevent clogging and loss of storm water storage and treatment capacity.
If you experience any localized drainage problems, including illegal stream dumping, please notify the County Road and Bridge Department at (904) 209-0246, so that the problem can be corrected.
Learn How to Protect Family & Property from Flood Risk
St. Johns County Floodplain Management periodically presents workshops at St. Johns County Public Library. Due to COVID-19 we are currently not hosting our regular in person events. For your safety we have provided a self-guided workshop. This presentation covers priority topics to help keep you and your property safe from flooding. For more information, please contact Floodplain Management Team at (904) 827-6800 (option 6).
Contact Us
Floodplain Management
4040 Lewis Speedway
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Phone: (904) 827-6800 Option 6