About the Floodplain Overlay District

On July 8, 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will adopt new maps of Lynn's Special Flood Hazard Areas. The slides from the community meeting on this topic are available here.

About the FEMA Map Update

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for mapping the nation's flood risk. Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), also known as the 100-year or 1% annual chance floodplains, are depicted on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). SFHAs are areas where floodplain management regulations are enforced and where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies.

FEMA has released updated maps based on new topographical data for the Northern portions of Lynn that expand our SFHAs. These maps go into effect on July 8, 2025 regardless of whether the Council votes to adopt them.

Is my home in a SFHA?

There are a few tools you can use to check if your home is in a flood area. For most residents, you can simply click this link to search for your property on this FEMA map of current and pending SHFAs. After July 9th, FEMA's National Flood Hazard Area Map will have all of the pending areas included.

If you live near the Flax Pond area, there is more information to be aware of:

The City requested a map revision from FEMA as a part of the Pickering Middle School project and most of the properties in the Flax Pond area will be removed from the Flax Pond SHFA on July 9. We appreciate that this adds confusion, as this change is not reflected in FEMA's pending maps.

In total, only 47 properties in all of Lynn will have their flood status change on July 9th, 2025. Is yours one? Review the list here.

The parcels colored in this map were all part of the City's Letter of Map Revision process. As a result of this revision, the green parcels will be removed from the SHFA on July 9th, and the yellow parcels will have a reduced area of SFHA as of July 9th. Many of these properties were already in a SHFA previously.

Even if you are not listed as being in a SFHA according to our data, there is a chance your mortgage holder may still require you to have flood insurance. Additionally, the City defers to FEMA about whether a property is considered in a flood zone or not.

What does this mean for me?

If you are in an SFHA, you will be required to purchase flood insurance as a prerequisite for receiving any type of direct or indirect federal financial assistance (e.g., any loan, grant, guaranty, insurance, payment, subsidy or disaster assistance) when the building or personal property is the subject of or security for such assistance. This means that flood insurance is mandatory for you if your structure is located in the SHFA and you have a federally backed mortgage (note: most mortgages are federally backed).

You can search for a flood insurance provider and access other resources here. We highly recommend shopping around proactively, before your mortgage holder selects a policy for you.

Even if you are not in the flood zone, your mortgage holder may require you to get flood insurance if they feel you are at risk.

In addition, many properties are only partially intersected by the flood zone. If your property is clearly away from the flood zone, you may not be required to get insurance. Or, you may be able to consult with a surveyor to get an elevation certificate to make clear that you are not affected by the flood zone.

What if I disagree with the map?

You can file a request for a revision or amendment directly with FEMA.

What is the Floodplain Overlay District?

The Floodplain Hazard Overlay District is one portion of the proposed zoning code that the Planning Board and City Council are considering tonight. To summarize, this policy requires any development occurring in a SFHA to receive a permit that ensures it is not worsening flooding in the City and that new construction meets appropriate standards given the flood risk.

This is considered a best practice for managing flood risk, and is a policy that the City has had in its zoning code for some time. In exchange for adopting this best practice, the City can participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides a number of benefits, including assistance in the event of a disaster, access to federally subsidized flood insurance, and access to grant funds to mitigate flood risk.

If the City repeals the Floodplain Overlay District, the new maps are still in effect on July 8, 2025. However:

• All residents and businesses in Lynn would become ineligible for flood insurance through the NFIP, and presumably private insurance rates would increase.

• Federal financial assistance for construction, acquisition, and disaster relief in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) would be unavailable to affected property owners.

• Federally backed mortgages and loans would be jeopardized for properties in SFHAs.