Floodplain Information

Overview

The City of Portsmouth is a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Floodplain information is used for real estate appraisals and for insurance purposes. The City’s Engineering Department has all of the floodplain information that you will need after you have selected your site.

Building Within the Floodplain

Should the site you wish to build on be within a designated floodplain, the City is required to enforce certain criteria established by city ordinances, as part of participating in the NFIP.  In addition to a building permit, you must complete a Special Flood Hazard Area permit application found on the link below. The building permit and the flood hazard area permit must be approved prior to the beginning of any construction.

Portsmouth Floodplain Development Permit and Checklist

Resources

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Map Services