Floodplain Management Program

An overview of New Hampshire's Floodplain Management Program and the information and services it offers

The Office of Strategic Initiatives, (OSI) administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in New Hampshire. OSI provides technical assistance and training to communities and the public on floodplain management and helps to promote sound land use planning techniques that will reduce flood losses. Learn more about the NH Floodplain Management Program and how the NFIP is administered in the state by viewing OSI’s interactive story map and the About the Program page.

OSI’s NH Flood Hazards Viewer is an online tool to view current, pending, and preliminary FEMA floodplain mapping for all NH communities (except those in Belknap County, which can be viewed using the FEMA Map Service Center). The Viewer allows a user to view and compare the latest effective and preliminary or pending FEMA flood hazard information along with parcel boundaries and contour data for most areas of the state.

News and Updates:

• Join us for our upcoming webinar, Floodplain Management Basics for Community Officials, which will be held on May 24, 2022 at 10:00 AM. This webinar will provide basic information and guidance about the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), FEMA flood maps and studies, community floodplain regulations, and the responsibilities of a NFIP participating community to remain in good standing in the program. You can register online now. This webinar will be recorded and posted to the NH Office of Planning and Development YouTube Page.
• The New Hampshire (NH) Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program, in partnership with the Rockingham Planning Commission, Strafford Regional Planning Commission, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, and New Hampshire Sea Grant, is accepting applications for non-financial technical assistance offered through the NH Flood Smart Seacoast Project in order to help NH coastal communities: incorporate best available coastal flood risk science and guidance in decision-making, adopt higher floodplain management standards, and access FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance funding. Learn more about the application, eligible communities, and project timeline on the project webpage.
• FEMA has updated the NFIP’s risk rating methodology through the implementation of a new pricing methodology called Risk Rating 2.0. While Risk Rating 2.0 was introduced to all new policies starting last October, all remaining policies will be subject to the new rating methodology renewing on or after April 1, 2022. Learn more about Risk Rating 2.0 including our outreach toolkit, upcoming trainings, and additional resources.
  
• Get the latest news about the National Flood Insurance Program and floodplain management topics in New Hampshire in the latest edition of our Flood Lines newsletter!

Information and Resources for:

• Community Officials
• Property Owners, Renters, Businesses
• Real Estate Professionals, Insurance Agents, and Lenders
• Surveyors, Engineers, Architects

Quick Links:

• Coastal Floodplain Mapping, Regulations, and Resiliency Resources
• Community Rating System (CRS)
• Flood Insurance
• Flood Mitigation and Resiliency
• Floodplain Maps and Studies
• Floodplain Permit Process, Applications and Certificates
• Floodplain Regulations and State Model Ordinances
• Join the NFIP
• Newsletter and Fact Sheets
• NH Flood Hazards Handbook for Municipal Officials
• Other Agency & Organizations Links
• Technical Information and Guidance
• Training and Education

Contact Us

For more information, contact:

Jennifer Gilbert, CFM
Voice: 603-271-1762
Email: jennifer.r.gilbert@livefree.nh.gov

Katie Nelson
Voice: 603-271-1755
E-mail: kathryn.o.nelson@livefree.nh.gov