FEMA is launching a new way to submit a request to change your property’s flood zone designation – with the Online Letter of Map Change (LOMC)! If you believe your property has been inadvertently included in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), you may now request a change over the web, instead of by mail. 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. Applicants can use this new website instead of the MT-1 or MT-EZ paper forms. All home or property owners, their designated representatives, or professional surveyors and engineers, can use this online tool to conveniently submit required documents, property information, and payment information all in one place.
The new Online LOMC offers many advantages over paper forms:
• Applicants may save information online and finish applying at their convenience
• Clear and intuitive interface makes applying user-friendly
• Eliminates time associated with the paper-based submission
• Frequent applicants can manage multiple LOMC requests online
• More efficient communications with LOMC processing staff
• Applicants can check their application status in real-time
Visit www.fema.gov/online-lomc to learn more!
Note from Wendy Lathrop: Currently only very simple Letters of Map Amendment (for "inadvertent inclusions" in the 1% chance floodplain) can be processed on line. It will be interesting to see what the details of this particular request form will be. It may be uploading data, but not immediate like eLOMA.