Flood Zone: General Information

National Flood Insurance Program
Created by Congress in 1968, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides insurance to help reduce the socio-economic impact of floods. Flood insurance is a separate policy that can cover buildings, the contents in a building, or both.  The NFIP:

• Provides flood insurance to property owners, renters, and businesses, and having this coverage helps them recover faster when floodwaters recede;
• Is a public-private partnership between the federal government, the property and casualty insurance industry, states, local officials, lending institutions, and property owners; and
• Is administered by FEMA, while insurance policies are sold and serviced by a network of more than 50 insurance companies and the NFIP Direct.

Community Rating System
Marshfield is a participating community in the NFIP Community Rating System (CRS) with a rating of 7, earning Marshfield Residents a 15% discount on their mandatory flood insurance.  The CRS is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the NFIP.

In CRS communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s efforts that address the three goals of the program:

1. Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property
2. Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program
3. Foster comprehensive floodplain management

Floodplain Management
Floodplain management is a community-based effort to prevent or reduce the risk of flooding, resulting in a more resilient community.  While FEMA has minimum floodplain management standards for communities participating in the NFIP, adopting higher standards will lead to safer, stronger, more resilient communities.  You can find the higher regulatory standards that Marshfield has adopted in the Marshfield Floodplain Bylaw. 

Flood-Resistant Design and Construction
The Massachusetts Residential Code requirements for flood-resistant design and construction have been organized in one location for ease of use.  A faq on substantial improvement determinations has been provided by the State and FEMA provides a publication on Substantial improvements as well.  Marshfield has a Substantial Improvement Determination Workbook to help you understand this often confusing aspect of flood plain construction, which you can find as a file at the bottom of this webpage.

The Coastal Flood Hazard Glossary
This visual guide can help explain the terms used in floodplain management and how they relate to information shown on flood maps.  

FEMA Flood Map Service Center
The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the NFIP.  Use the MSC to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better understanding flood risk.

Find a Flood Insurance Provider
This online tool provided by FEMA and the NFIP can be used to help find participating insurance providers. This page also contains a wide range of valuable flood insurance information.

Know Your Risk
Become familiar with your risk of floods and flood-related hazards before they occur.  You can maximize your flood preparedness and recovery by reviewing information in advance. Everyone has specific actions and steps they can take to understand their flood risk, depending on the role they have in the community.