Floodplain Management

Managing the Floodplain

Floodplain management involves identifying flood-prone areas and managing how that area is used. An effective management plan minimizes alterations to floodplains and streambeds, which in turn reduces flooding and protects floodplain benefits such as enhanced water quality.

The City of Peachtree Corners minimizes potential flooding from future growth by addressing the impact of new development and redevelopment on stormwater. Floodplain regulations and development restrictions can greatly reduce future flooding impacts, preserve greenspace and habitat, control floodwaters, and protect water quality. Additionally, floodplains benefit the community by protecting endangered species and providing a space for recreational activities.

This web page’s purpose is to bring awareness to the City’s ability to provide floodplain information on your property. As a public outreach effort, the page contains many useful tips regarding flood insurance, flood safety, floodplain protection, and flood damage mitigation.

Peachtree Corners is bordered by the Chattahoochee river to the north. This is the main water body and most tributaries and streams in Peachtree Corners lead to this primary water source. As a result, flooding damage can occur when streams are inhibited, and water cannot reach the river.

Know Your Flood Hazard

A floodplain is a flat area of land adjacent to a river that can experience flooding. It is important for residents to find out if their property falls in an area where flooding is a hazard. If you want to know if a property is in the Special Flood Hazard Area, view the City of Peachtree Corners Floodplain Map and type in your address to find your property on the map. You can also identify which local watershed your property is in by viewing the City Watershed Map (PDF).

The city can provide information about flood hazards, flood insurance ratings, and natural floodplain functions of areas that should be protected. For questions pertaining to the floodplain, email the City’s Certified Floodplain Manager, Katherine Francesconi.

Insure Your Property for Your Flood Hazard

Property owners within floodplains are advised to have flood insurance since regular homeowner’s insurance excludes flood damage coverage. Typically, there is a 30-day waiting period from the date the insurance is purchased before the actual policy goes into effect. If you don’t have flood insurance and are interested in getting coverage, please speak with your insurance agent and read about mandatory floodplain insurance (PDF).

Flood insurance is available to protect homes, condominiums, apartments and non-residential buildings, including commercial structures. A maximum of $250,000 of building coverage is available for single-family residential buildings; $250,000 per unit for multi-family residences. The limit for contents coverage on all residential buildings is $100,000, which is also available to renters. Commercial structures can be insured to a limit of $500,000 for the building and $500,000 for the contents.

Please visit the FloodSmart website for information on where and why to buy flood insurance. Flood damage isn’t covered by standard homeowners’ insurance policies, and just one inch of floodwater can cause more than $25,000 in damage.

Peachtree Corners is a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which is backed by the Federal government and is available to everyone, even for properties that have been flooded. Buy an NFIP policy from your insurance company. Even if your home is in a low- or moderate-risk flood zone, FEMA recommends purchasing insurance from NFIP. More than 25 percent of flood insurance claims come from properties that are not in identified high-risk zones. Flood insurance covers all surface floods. Know the flood risk in your area.

For insurance purposes, view the Georgia Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM).

Terms

• Floodplain - a nearly flat plain along the course of a stream or river that is naturally subject to flooding.
• Impervious Surface - a hardened surface (e.g. concrete, rooftop, asphalt, compacted gravel, etc.) that does not absorb stormwater.
• Natural Hydrologic System - the natural sequence through which water passes into the atmosphere as water vapor, precipitates to earth in liquid or solid form, and ultimately returns to the atmosphere through evaporation.
• Watershed - a region or area bounded peripherally by a divide and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water.