FEMA Flood Zone
FEMA"”Flood Plain Management Information
The City of Mission Viejo participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is a voluntary program in which the City is required to follow a rigorous certification process and must enforce and maintain minimum flood plain management standards in order to maintain eligibility. For example, the City has to ensure that projects within or fringing on a floodway or floodplain comply with FEMA regulations and requirements. Lenders, appraisers, insurance companies, realtors, and property owners are interested in the flood zone or Special Flood Hazard Area, which is reflected on Flood Insurance Rate Maps published by FEMA and is normally used to evaluate construction, lending and insurance requirements.
Since the City has been certified by the NFIP, homeowners, renters, and businesses are eligible to purchase flood insurance. In addition, the City has gone through additional certification measures, which entitle anyone who purchases flood insurance within the City to a discount on their premium.
For further information regarding any flood-related item, please contact:
Richard Schlesinger, P.E.
City Engineer
City of Mission Viejo
200 Civic Center
Mission Viejo, California 92691
949-470-3079
rschlesinger@cityofmissionviejo.org
Flood Zone Information
FEMA Forms
Approved Letters of Map Revision (LOMR)/Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA)
Elevation Certificates
Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Flood Safety Brochure
Flood Zone Information
Flood Insurance Rate Maps
The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the official flood map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community. Each FIRM has a unique identifier and a designated effective date. The effective date is the date on which the FIRM enters into force as the official regulatory flood map for the area it covers.
To access the Flood Insurance Rate Maps in digital format, please visit FEMA's Map Service Center. To locate the correct FIRM for your property location, follow these instructions:
- In the Search box enter your property address (including city and state) and click on "Search".
- When the map appears, select the View button. The map will pop up in a new window.
- Click on the buttons in the left column to manipulate the map. For example, clicking on the "MAX Zoom Out" button expands the map to fill the screen window.
Information regarding the flood zone designation for properties in the City of Mission Viejo may also be obtained by using the City's GIS system and entering a specific property address or APN number. To obtain your property's information, click on "View" and in the drop-down menu click on "FIRM Panel". Click on the FIRM Panel Number once it appears on the map for the FIRM ID and effective date.
What is a FIRMette?
Full FIRM panels are quite large (36' x 25.875'), so most users will prefer to create and print out a smaller selected portion. After finding your specific area of interest, such as your house or development, you can create a FIRMette of the area. A FIRMette is a full-scale section of a FIRM that you create yourself and that is formatted to fit on standard printer paper sizes. FIRMettes can be used to make determinations under the National Flood Insurance Program.
Moving Around in FIRMette Web
You can navigate around the image of the map and use the labeled streets or other map features to locate your specific area of interest. Select the Zoom In or Zoom Out buttons to zoom in or out on the image when you click the cursor on the map. Use the Pan button to move around within the map when you click the cursor.
Making a FIRMette
Once you have chosen the tab to Make a FIRMette, FIRMette Web loads a set of new printing functionalities, located at the bottom of the toolbar area, and three translucent boxes in the main map window. The printing functionalities allow you to specify aspects of the FIRMette output such as page size and file format, and the translucent boxes allow you to specify the print area. There are four basic steps for making a FIRMette:
- Select a page size
There are three standard page sizes, and the default is letter size. You can adjust the page size by selecting the corresponding button. Notice that the size of the translucent box located at the upper left corner of the map changes with the page size, i.e., the larger the page size, the bigger the area of the box and vice versa.
- Confirm the special print area
There are three translucent boxes in the main map window. Their function is to help the user to define the printing area of the map, the scale and north arrow, and the FIRMette title block. You can define the area by dragging the active box over to the area of interest (e.g., near your property location). An active box is represented by the red translucent box with the green border, and only one box is active at a time. Switching between the active boxes can be done by clicking on the corresponding buttons.
- Select a save format
A FIRMette can be created in either .pdf or .tif format. After clicking the corresponding button, a preview page is generated which allows you to see how the FIRMette will look.
- Save the FIRMette
By selecting the Save your FIRMette button, a download prompt opens. Depending on your internet browser and settings, you may be asked to select a preferred option (e.g., Save, Save As, etc.) to download the FIRMette to your computer in your chosen file format. Otherwise, the download will begin automatically.
Flood Insurance Rate Map and National Flood Insurance Program information is also available at the City's Engineering Counter and Mission Viejo Library. Private companies offer flood zone determinations based upon the current Flood Insurance Rate Map information. For floodplain questions other than specific zone determinations, please check out the Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information.
FEMA Forms
Flood Mapping-Related Forms
The table below provides descriptive information about various FEMA flood map-related forms and how to download. This page is intended for the general public, industry professionals and government officials interested in submitting a Letter of Map Change (LOMC) request via mail and/or obtaining other flood hazard mapping-related data for engineering, surveying or construction purposes.
For questions about FIRMs, LOMAs, flood mapping procedures, or the map revision process, call 1-877-336-2627 toll-free and ask to speak with a "FEMA Flood Map Specialist" or visit the FEMA website to download flood mapping-related forms.
| Form | Form Description |
| Elevation Certificate |
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Elevation Certificate (EC) (FEMA form 086-0-33) is an administrative tool of the NFIP, which is to be used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances, to determine the proper insurance premium rate, or to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Amendment based on fill (LOMR-F). |
| Floodproofing Certificate |
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Floodproofing Certificate (FEMA form 086-0-34) is the form to be used to certify a floodproofing design for non-residential buildings that are permitted as an alternative to elevating to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). |
| MT-EZ Form |
Application Form for Single Residential Lot or Structure Amendments to National Flood Insurance Program Maps This form should be used to request that FEMA remove a single structure or a legally recorded parcel of land or portions thereof, described by metes and bounds certified by a Registered Professional Engineer or Licensed Land Surveyor, from a designated Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), an area that would be inundated by the flood having a 1 percent annual chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (base flood), via a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). A LOMA is a letter from FEMA stating that an existing structure or parcel of land that has not been elevated by fill (i.e., the existing structure or parcel of land is on natural grade) would not be inundated by the base flood. Fill is defined as material placed to raise the ground to or above the Base Flood Elevation. |
| MT-1 Form |
Application Forms for Conditional and Final Letters of Map Amendment and Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill |
| Standard Flood Hazard Determination Form | The current Standard Flood Hazard Determination Form (SFHDF) (expiration date December 31, 2011) remains valid until a new SFHDF has been approved. Please periodically check the link for updates to the form. The Standard Flood Hazard Determination Form (SFHDF) is required for all federally-backed loans and is used by lenders to determine the flood risk for their building loans. The SFHDF is authorized by the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 (NFIRA) and is imposed on lenders by their regulatory entities, not by FEMA. FEMA oversees the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which makes federally-administered flood insurance available throughout the United States and is responsible for development, updates and making the form available to users. Implementation of the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 94, as amended, is the responsibility of the various Federal agencies that regulate lenders. Please contact your regulator or lender to determine their requirements. |
| External Data Request (EDR) for the FEMA Engineering Library |
Most FEMA Engineering Library requests should be made though the Engineering Library's External Data Request (EDR) process. Use this form to submit an EDR request to the FEMA Engineering Library. For more information on the FEMA Engineering Library, visit the FEMA Engineering Library webpage. |
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
The NFIP is a Federal program created by Congress to mitigate future flood losses nationwide through sound, community-enforced building and zoning ordinances and to provide access to affordable, federally backed flood insurance protection for property owners. The NFIP is designed to provide an insurance alternative to disaster assistance to meet the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods.
Participation in the NFIP is based on an agreement between local communities and the Federal Government that states that if a community will adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks to new construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), the Federal Government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses.
In support of the NFIP, FEMA identifies flood hazard areas throughout the United States and its territories. Most areas of flood hazard are commonly identified on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The FIRM is an official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community. One of these areas is the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). The SFHA is a high-risk area defined as any land that would be inundated by a flood having a 1-percent chance of occurring in a given year (also referred to as the base flood).
A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) is a letter that officially revises an effective FEMA NFIP map. A LOMA results from an administrative procedure involving the review of scientific or technical data submitted by the owner or lessee of property who believes the property has incorrectly been included in a designated SFHA or has been incorrectly identified in the wrong SFHA. A LOMA amends the currently effective FEMA map and establishes that a specific property is not located in the SFHA or is located within the correct SFHA.
Letters of Map Revision (LOMR)/Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA)
If you believe your property was incorrectly included in a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) identified Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), you may submit an application to FEMA for a formal determination of the property's location and/or elevation relative to the SFHA. The SFHA is the area that has a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year; this area is also referred to by some as the 1-percent-annual-chance floodplain, base floodplain, or the 100-year floodplain. After FEMA reviews the map change request, it will issue a Determination Document, either approving or denying the map change. If FEMA grants the map amendment or revision request, you may no longer be required to purchase flood insurance. You may send the Determination Document to your mortgage lender and request that the federal flood insurance requirement for the structure be removed.
2004 Revalidated Letters of Map Amendment
2009 Revalidated Letters of Map Amendment
|
Location |
Date Issued |
Case No. |
Property Description |
| 26060, 26030, 26034, 26050, & 26060 Acero | 12-11-1997 | 98-09-186A | Parcel Map 89-132, Parcels 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 & 10 |
| 26060 Acero | 9-15-2011 | 11-09-3442A | Parcel Map 89-132, Parcel 3 |
| 22961 Bartolome | 2-03-2011 | 11-09-0566A | Tract 9898, Lot 13 |
| 23342 Bolivar | 4-20-2010 | 10-09-1649A | Tract 8199, Lot 25 |
| 27194 Camino Capistrano | 5-21-2013 | 13-09-1580A | Parcel Map 89-205, Parcel 1 |
| 24681 Caverna Circle | 12-23-2010 | 11-09-0631A | Tract 6340, Lot 58 |
| 24682 Caverna Circle | 6-05-2014 | 14-09-2655A | Tract 6340, Lot 57 |
| 26151 Country Club Drive | 1-18-2002 | 02-09-278A | |
| La Paz Channel | 12-28-1994 | 94-09-496P | Oso Parkway to El Paseo Road |
| 23228 Madero Road | 5-12-2011 | 11-09-0952A | |
| O'Neill Retarding Basin | 3-26-1992 | 92-09-095P | |
| 24982 Tree Lane | 12-27-2010 | 11-09-0276A | Tract 5656, Lot 63 |
| 25912 Triton Court | 12-03-2009 | 17-09-2796A | Tract 7799, Lot 16 |
| 24392 Verena Court | 6-26-2014 | 14-09-3012A | Tract 7799, Lot 33 |
| 24396 Verena Court | 8-29-1994 | 94-09-741A | Tract 7799, Lot 32 |
| 24402 Verena Court | 11-07-1996 | 97-09-063A | Tract 7799, Lot 31 |
| 24406 Verena Court | 6-12-1998 | 98-09-714A | Tract 7799, Lot 30 |
| 24412 Verena Court | 4-16-1997 | 97-09-596A | Tract 7799, Lot 29 |
| 24416 Verena Court | 9-30-2013 | 13-09-2864A | Tract 7799, Lot 28 |
| 24422 Verena Court | 12-10-1993 | 94-09-138A | Tract 7799, Lot 27 |
| 24432 Verena Court | 5-22-2017 | 17-09-1328A | Tract 7799, Lot 25 |
| 24442 Verena Court | 5-21-2013 | 13-09-1690A | Tract 7799, Lot 23 |
| 24456 Verena Court | 2-27-2002 | 2-09-181A | Tract 7799, Lot 20 |
| 24462 Verena Court | 3-16-2010 | 10-09-1516A | Tract 7799, Lot 19 |
| 24466 Verena Court | 8-31-2017 | 17-09-2382A | Tract 7799, Lot 18 |
| 24472 Verena Court | 10-25-2017 | 17-09-2795A | Tract 7799, Lot 17 |
| 23681 Via Linda | 3-18-2014 | 14-09-1497A | Parcel Map 79-241, Parcels 33 & 34 |
| 26600 Oso Parkway | 11-03-2016 |
16-09-1691P |
Oso Creek at Mission Viejo Country Club Golf Course |
Elevation Certificates
The City of Mission Viejo has Elevation Certificates on file in the Public Works Department for the following properties:
23162 & 23164 Los Alisos Boulevard Flood Elevation Certificate
23166 Los Alisos Boulevard Flood Elevation Certificate
Additional Resources
The City of Mission Viejo maintains numerous publications produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provide guidance on such topics as how to protect your home or structures from flooding and repairing flood damage. These publications are available for review at the City Hall Public Works Engineering Counter or at the City of Mission Viejo Library.
Above the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House, FEMA-347 (2000)
Answers to Questions About the National Flood Insurance Program, F-084 (2011)
Elevated Residential Structures, FEMA-54 (1984)
Protecting Manufactured Homes from Floods and Other Hazards, FEMA P-85 (2009)
Mitigation of Flood and Erosion Damage to Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas, FEMA-257 (1994)
Protecting Building Utilities from Flood Damage, FEMA-P-348 (1999)
Protecting Floodplain Resources, FEMA-268 (1996)
Reducing Damage from Localized Flooding, FEMA 511 (2005)
Information can also be found at the National Flood Insurance Program website.