Flood Prevention
The City of Lakeland participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and adopted floodplain management regulations on December 19, 2016 via ordinance 5615. As a result, the City "adopted the requirement to increase the minimum elevation requirement and to require buildings that sustain repetitive flood damage over a 10-year period to be included in the definition of "substantial damage," for buildings and other structures in flood hazard areas prior to July 1, 2010". This requirement is coordinated within Florida Building Code. You may request a copy of the ordinance via staff. These requirements may also be found within Florida Building Code, Residential, reference books, section R-322 Flood Resistant Construction.
KNOW YOUR FLOOD ZONE
Looking for flood risk information for a property within the City of Lakeland? Check out our new, public Forerunner Flood Website at https://lakelandfl.withforerunner.com/properties
Each property in our community has a unique public profile that can be used by homeowners, contractors, insurance agents, realtors, and others to review the property’s available flood data. Search for a property on the homepage by address to find current available information on its flood zone, Base Flood Elevation (BFE), Design Flood Elevation (DFE), Elevation Certificates (ECs), important flood compliance-related warnings, and more. All of this is constantly being updated when new information is made available so don’t forget to check back to see if there’s anything new to know.
Residents should be aware of flood risks to their property. Hurricanes and other storms can create runoff and flooding problems in our area. The National Flood Insurance (NFIP) offers flood insurance as do insurance agents and they can assist you in determining your insurance needs. There are also tools for residents to view flood maps of your area to assist in determining whether you are in a high-risk area. Use the Flood Map Service Center provided by FEMA to learn about your area.
As a result of Lakeland's Annual Progress report for Flood Plain Management, the City's Community Rating System is currently a 7. This rating saves policy holders 15% on their policy if the homeowner is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
Additional Resources & Info
- City of Lakeland Drainage Issues
- City of Lakeland Citizen's Action Center: Inquire on a variety of topics
- FEMA
- FEMA Flood Maps
- Elevate Florida: FDEM's Residential Mitigation Program
- FEMA Flood Insurance Program
- FEMA for Kids!
- Flood Information Available at your local library
- Florida Emergency Management
- Lakeland Electric Storm Information
- Polk County Emergency Information
- Polk County Flood Map Information
- Pollution Hotline 863.834.DUMP