Floodplain Management Overview

The City of Allentown is one of the 23,000 communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This program offers flood insurance to our community.

As a member of the NFIP, we are required to adopt and apply floodplain management regulations. These regulations can be found here: City of Allentown, PA Flood Control (ecode360.com)

Floodplain management helps keep our community safe from flooding. Floodplain management regulations are meant to prevent flood damage in areas with an increased risk of flood, called the 100-Year Floodplain. These areas can be found on FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) dated July 16, 2004: FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer (arcgis.com)

Floodplain Development Permit Requirements 

If you are located in the 100-Year Floodplain and plan to build, repair or renovate anything on your property (buildings, fences, swimming pools, sheds, driveways etc.), you need a Floodplain Development Permit. You can apply here: Civic Access (allentownpa.gov). There is a permit fee of $25.

Anything new to your property must be built in compliance with the floodplain management regulations.

Repairs and renovations to existing structures need to be evaluated to determine if the repair/renovation cost is 50% or more of the structure’s value. This is called a Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage evaluation. You can learn more about these requirements and how they affect your property here: National Flood Insurance Program Substantial Damage/Substantial Improvement Fact Sheet

There are areas of the 100-Year Floodplain called Floodways. There are also areas of the 100-Year Floodplain that do not have a mapped Floodway. If you are located in one of these areas, all new buildings and structures must be designed and built to prevent a rise in flood elevations. If you are building anything (buildings, fences, swimming pools, sheds, driveways etc.) in these areas, you must consult with a professional engineer. Guidelines can be found here: No-Rise Certification Guidance (allentownpa.gov). You can use FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer (arcgis.com) to determine if you are located in a Floodway or an area without a mapped Floodway.

Please contact the City of Allentown’s Floodplain Manager  to discuss any plans for your property.

Flood Insurance

Government lenders require flood insurance for mortgages in the 100-Year Floodplain. However, more than 20% of flood insurance claims come from places outside these areas and most regular home insurance policies do not cover floods. You can read more about flood insurance here: | The National Flood Insurance Program (floodsmart.gov)