State of Missouri Emergency Management Agency Flood Mapping Project

Numerous cities across the nation are located along streams and rivers for economic and recreational benefits. But along with the benefits of area waterways, there is the potential risk of flooding. Therefore the National Flood Insurance Program was established by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to assess the flood risk that exists in these cities and to define flood prone areas. The basis used in the risk analysis is the determination of the area that will be flooded from a 100-year flood event. A 100-year flood event has a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. Communities willing to adopt floodplain management policies, thereby identifying flood prone areas and establishing flood hazard maps, can be provided flood insurance according to the 1968 Act.

The two primary uses of flood hazard maps are floodplain management and flood insurance rating. Through the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has mandated states to identify flood hazards and update flood hazard information. States and local communities will use flood hazard maps to establish floodplain management policies by following criteria set forth by the federal government or imposing more stringent floodplain management regulations. These flood hazard maps, once produced and/or updated, must then be used to mandate purchase of flood insurance in those areas where there is a 1-percent (100-year) annual chance of flood occurrence.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working in cooperation with the State of Missouri Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in an ongoing project to do approximate area, site specific, and detailed floodplain mapping studies on selected counties in Missouri. Future plans are being made to continue mapping other counties. The links for these studies provide a brief description of the objectives, methodology and examples.

The map of Missouri below outlines the counties which have been mapped by the USGS. The counties highlighted in red, link to completed floodplain maps for approximate area studies. Final DFIRM maps may be obtained through the online FEMA Flood Map Store. Site specific studies, highlighted blue, link to PDF files of completed reports. Paper copies may be obtained through email requests to the MO-Rolla USGS District.

References:

Website and report information, referenced and completed, according to Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners, February 2002. Standards set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Information for hydrologic and hydraulic studies was obtained through the USGS and the following agencies.

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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer: Rita Choate, Webmaster
Updated: January 13, 2005
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URL: http://mo.water.usgs.gov/current_studies/SEMA/index.htm

Cooperators:		Contacts:
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		Rodney Southard, Hydrologist
		southard@usgs.gov (573) 308-3806


		U.S. Geological Survey
		Missouri Water Science Center
		1400 Independence Road, MS-100
		Rolla, Missouri 65401
		Telephone: (573) 308-3667
		Fax: (573) 308-3645