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Overview

WV Flood Tool

The West Virginia Flood Tool is designed to provide floodplain managers, insurance agents, developers, real estate agents, local planners and citizens with an effective means by which to make informed decisions about the degree of flood risk for a specific area or property.
Data displayed on the WV Flood Tool are directly sourced from FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layers. Remember: if in doubt, it's not out!

Features

Best Available Flood Reference Data

Includes the best available flood mapping data from FEMA and other approved sources and incorporates maps/background and reference layers (aerial photos, roads, elevation contours, addresses, parcels, stream names, etc.) from federal, state, local, and commercial sources. The WV Flood Tool operates on both desktop computers and mobile phones.


Map Views
  • The WV Flood Tool has three customized map views: PUBLIC, EXPERT, and RISK MAP. These Views support FEMA’s NFIP/CRS and Risk MAP Programs.
  • PUBLIC View allows the general public to obtain quick and easy flood hazard determinations of identified locations.
  • EXPERT View and RISK MAP View are for more advanced users who are familiar with FEMA's official flood maps and mitigation programs for flood risk mapping, assessment, and planning (RISK MAP).

Tool Functions and Visualization
  • Displays in the Flood Query Results Panel comprehensive information about the identified flood hazard (flood zone, flood height, flood depth), ground elevation, geographic location (watershed name, stream name/flood source, parcel identifier, site address, x-y coordinates), and community information.
  • Links specific areas of the map to online FEMA-issued maps, hydraulic models, flood profiles, building-level flood risk assessments, external map viewers, detailed property assessment reports, and local floodplain manager contact.
  • Presents three different cartographic representations of flood zones.
  • Allows floodplain managers to print flood determination information required for floodplain permits and record keeping.
  • Renders 3D Flood Visualizations from the base flood water depth and building type. Visualizations are easier for non-technical users to understand risks to their property in feet of water rather than comprehending the base flood elevation.
  • Multiple ways to zoom to geographic locations: street addresses, tax parcels, coordinates, and place names.
  • Displays ground elevation values with a vertical accuracy range of 10 ft. to 1 ft.
  • Shows effective and advisory flood height values for A or AE Zones using Water Surface Elevation (WSEL) Grids.
  • Affords eligible communities CRS credits.
  • Warning colors denote risk level: high risk (red/orange), moderate risk (yellow)

Data Layers

Base map (Background) Layer
  • ROAD/STREET base maps are useful for viewing the named features of roads, streams, and other points of interest.
  • TOPOGRAPHIC and HILLSHADE base maps are helpful for viewing the terrain.
  • AERIAL IMAGERY base maps are useful for viewing structures and high-resolution pictures of the earth's surface. Users can access more than ten aerial imagery data sets from 1999 to present that vary in resolution from 1 meter to 4 inches.
  • Counties and local communities are encouraged to incorporate their locally acquired data into the Flood Tool. Locally produced data sets such as parcels, E-911 addresses, and leaf-off aerial imagery are integrated at the state level and provided as a shared map service.

Reference Layers

Overlay reference layers consist of vector framework layers. Important layers for property identification are tax parcels, E-911 addresses, geographic names, and community boundaries. Detailed parcel assessment web reports display building information for all primary and secondary structures located in a single parcel. The WV Property Search Tool is a companion application of the WV Flood Tool that allows users to perform advanced search and filter queries on all property assessment records. Other reference layers include the WVDOT roads, hydrography, watersheds, and elevation contours. Reference layers are generalized and more detailed at zoomed-out and zoomed-in scales, respectively, with all layers displayed at the largest zoom-in scale of 1:282. Elevation contour intervals at the highest zoom levels vary from 10 ft. to 1 ft.


Flood Layers

Flood layers encompass information about flood hazards and mitigating flood risks. The Flood Tool displays the primary National Flood Hazard Layers (NFHL) on FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). High-Risk Advisory Zones (Advisory A, Updated AE, and Preliminary NFHL – orange colored zones) are non-regulatory flood zones and not shown on the FIRM; however, future FEMA Flood Studies most likely will incorporate these advisory zones on the official FIRM. Other map layers for floodplain management and hazard reduction efforts include mitigated buyout properties, elevation certificates, positionally-verified LOMAs, and high-water marks. In the RISK MAP View, building-level risk assessments are displayed for a 100-year flood.

Contacts



    State NFIP Coordinator
    (NFIP Permitting, Compliance, Training)

    Julia Sears, CFM
    NFIP/CTP Coordinator
    WV Emergency Management Division
    1700 MacCorkle Avenue SE, 6th Floor
    Charleston, WV 25314
    julia.r.sears@wv.gov
    (304) 414-7654 - Office
    (304) 989-8330 - Cell
    Website Link (offsite)

WV GIS Technical Center

(System Administration and Data Integrator)

    Behrang Bidadian - (behrang.bidadian@mail.wvu.edu; phone: 304-293-9463)
    Kurt Donaldson- (kurt.donaldson@mail.wvu.edu; phone: 304-293-9467)

    WVU Department of Geology & Geography, 330 Brooks Hall, P.O. Box 6300, Morgantown, WV 26506
    Phone: (304) 293-0557
    Website

Features

Best Available Flood Reference Data

Includes the best available flood mapping data from FEMA and other approved sources and incorporates the best available base maps/background and reference layers (aerial photos, roads, elevation contours, addresses, stream names, etc.) from commercial and local data sources.
The WV Flood tool consumes web map services from other state agencies (such as WV DOT roads and WV DEP imagery) and operates on both desktop computers and smart phones.


Map Views

The WV Flood Tool has three customized map views: Public, Expert, and Risk MAP.

  • Public View allows the general public to obtain quick and easy flood hazard determinations of identified locations.
  • Expert View and Risk MAP View are for more advanced users who are familiar with FEMA's official flood maps and mitigation programs for flood risk mapping, assessment, and planning (Risk MAP).

Tool Functions, Visualization, and Performance
  • Provides detailed flood hazard information for advanced users including base flood, elevations, cross-sections, flood profiles, mitigated properties, stream names, advisory flood heights (AFH) and associated models.
  • Multiple ways to zoom to geographic locations: street addresses, coordinates, place names, and tax parcels.
  • Links specific areas of the map to local floodplain managers or FEMA’s online map service center to view official flood maps.
  • Publish or exchange links of online flood maps for others to view.
  • Approximate elevation of the ground with a vertical accuracy of +/ - 10ft.
  • Displays and queries HAZUS 100-year flood event information to assist in mitigating flood risks

Data Layers

Base map (Background) Layer
    Road/Street base maps are useful for viewing the named features of roads, streams, and other points of interest.
    Topographic base maps are helpful for viewing the terrain.
    Aerial or satellite imagery base maps are useful for viewing structures and high resolution pictures of the earth's surface.
    WV Sheriffs Imagery provides the high-resolution 4” aerial photography of urban areas at a zoomed-in map scale of 1:282.

    Counties are encouraged to incorporate their locally acquired imagery into the statewide leaf-off imagery web map service (6" or better). Imagery and elevation reference layers provided by local communities are for “viewing only” purposes in the Flood Tool and any shared data is not redistributed without the owner’s authorization.


Reference Layers

Overlay reference layers consist of vector framework layers such as transportation, hydrography, elevation contours, geographic names, watersheds, parcels, mitigated properties, boundaries, and addresses. Reference layers are generalized and more detailed at zoomed-out and zoomed-in scales, respectively, with all layers displayed at the largest zoom-in scale of 1:282.


Flood Layers

Flood layers encompass information about flood hazards and mitigating flood risks. The flood layers include the best available digital flood data from the FEMA Map Service Center. Certain flood layers (flood profiles, water surface elevation, water depth, x-sections, FEMA panel index, floodways, etc.) are only viewable in the Expert View.

Contacts


    WV GIS Technical Center
    System Administration and Data Integrator)

    Behrang Bidadian - (behrang.bidadian@mail.wvu.edu; phone: 304-293-9463)
    Kurt Donaldson- (kurt.donaldson@mail.wvu.edu; phone: 304-293-9467)

    WVU Department of Geology & Geography, 330 Brooks Hall, P.O. Box 6300, Morgantown, WV 26506,
    Phone: (304) 293-0557
    Website