Floodplain

Floodplain Division

Contact the Floodplain Division to assist you in the following:

• Determining the flood zone and flood risk for your property;
• Historical flood occurrences in your neighborhood;
• Availability of flood insurance and where to purchase a policy;
• Lender requirements associated with the ‘Mandatory Purchase of Flood Insurance’ guidelines;
• Site visits to review flooding, drainage and stormwater problems, and one‐ on‐ one suggestions to property owners;
• Building requirements and copies of as-built Elevation Certificates, when available;
• Guidance on flood mitigation techniques such as elevating, relocating, or removing repetitive flood loss structures;
• Information on retrofitting techniques such as installation of barriers, levees and floodwalls to reduce potential flooding of structures and basements

Grand Prairie Reduces Flood Damage with Help of Community Rating System

The City of Grand Prairie’s ongoing floodplain management efforts through the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (NFIP/CRS) are reducing flood losses and providing insurance savings for residents.

What is the CRS? The Community Rating System is a voluntary program of the National Flood Insurance Program. Through the CRS, communities that are undertaking floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum requirements of the NFIP earn reductions in the flood insurance premiums of their residents resulting in more affordable flood insurance.

Grand Prairie is currently one of the best-rated CRS communities in Texas, earning a 25 percent reduction in flood insurance premiums for Grand Prairie residents.

Community Rating System (CRS)

The City of Grand Prairie participates in the Community Rating System (CRS). The CRS is a subset of the NFIP. It is a voluntary incentive program, which recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities which exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.

As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s actions meeting the three goals of the CRS:

1. Reduce flood losses,
2. Facilitate accurate insurance rating, and
3. Promote the awareness of flood insurance.

Community participation in the CRS is in addition to participation in the NFIP. Participation in the NFIP does not automatically include participation in the CRS. As of September 2012, the City of Grand Prairie has a CRS ranking of 5, which qualifies residents for a 25% discount on flood insurance premiums for properties in the SFHA.

Public Information and Flood Information Assistance

The City’s Stormwater Department provides a comprehensive flood information program that is available to the public. Residents may obtain flood risk information including: basic map information, copies of Elevation Certificates, floodway information, depth of flooding information, lowest floor elevations, historical flood data, information on areas that flood outside of the designated Special Flood Hazard Area, erosion set-back areas, the natural functions of the Special Flood Hazard Areas, and other flood related information by visiting the City Stormwater Department and meeting with a department representative in person, by phone, or by accessing the City’s website online.

Want to know the flood zone of your property to determine your flood risk? The City provides a map information service enabling all residents to determine the flood zone of a specific property. Paper copies of the City’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for viewing at the City’s Planning and Development Center. A link to view current FlRMs can be found on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps web page.

The City Stormwater Department can also assists residents in non-technical review of individual properties when requested, as well as provide guidance on floodproofing, and other mitigation techniques used to help reduce flooding. This can be done either by visiting the City Stormwater Department or by City staff visiting the actual property to assess the situation in person.

Please feel free to contact the City Stormwater Department. To visit in person, we are located at 300 W Main Street; by phone at 972-237-8321 or by email at floodplain@gptx.org.

Letters of Map Revisions (LOMR)

The delineation of the floodplain limits can change. If a developer wishes to alter and/or fill a portion of the floodplain, they must prepare a Flood Study showing no adverse effects or substantial changes in the water surface elevation. This flood study, along with a detailed application, may be submitted to FEMA to be considered for a Letter of Map Revisions (LOMR). If approved, the LOMR serves as an official revision to the FIRM. Individual property owners may also contest the floodplain designation for their property by submitting information to FEMA for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA).

The city has received many LOMRs and LOMAs within our city limits. Lenders and Insurance Companies are not always aware of these changes, so it may be necessary to call the Engineering Services Department at 972-237-8157 to determine if the floodplain map for your area has changed and to receive a copy of the change. Many Letters of Map Change can also be obtained online from the FEMA Flood Map Store.