National Flood Insurance Program and County Floodways

FEMA's Flood Insurance Monthly Payment Plan

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now allows National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders to pay their premiums in monthly installments rather than in a single annual lump sum. Traditionally, NFIP premiums had been due all at once each year — a requirement that many homeowners in flood-prone areas have found burdensome.

Los Angeles County Public Works, along with many other floodplain managers and advocates, urged FEMA for payment flexibility, pointing to the financial strain a large annual bill can create, especially for lower-income households. The monthly payment option became available for new or renewed policies in October 2025.

This option reflects a shift in FEMA's approach to NFIP policies. FEMA and Los Angeles County hope that offering a monthly payment option will make flood insurance more manageable for current policyholders, and potentially attract new policyholders who might otherwise risk going without coverage.

See FEMA's NFIP Installment Payment Plans Fact Sheet

FEMA's Do-It-Yourself Flood Insurance Quoting Tool

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now has an online quoting tool that allows you to create a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood insurance quote based on your home's address and simple characteristics of your home. For homeowners and renters, the tool uses the same risk rating engine that insurance agents use, so the tool is expected to create the same quote as if an insurance agent created it.

The quoting tool uses defaults built into the rating system for variables like building replacement cost and First Floor Height. (Remember: the NFIP rating methodology no longer uses flood zones and Base Flood Elevation as rating variables!) The quoting tool does allow you to add in flood risk mitigation measures (such as the presence of flood vents in your foundation, elevating your home's water heaters, air conditioners and furnaces), so you can see what discounts in your flood insurance premium these measures can provide.

Note: Unfortunately, the tool does not allow you to change elevations; so, you cannot see what the financial benefit would be to elevate your home higher. FEMA hopes to include such a feature in future versions of the tool.

After entering about 10 pieces of information and the coverage limits you want, you can generate a quote based on the deductibles you chose. This quote can be printed, emailed to your insurance agent (you provide the email address) or sent to one of three listed agents that service your area. These agents have signed up to receive quotes and have been verified by their Write Your Own insurance company. (If you're an insurance agent, you can register here.)

Although the quoting tool generates a quote without using an insurance agent, you should always talk with an agent. This way you can confirm you entered the correct information to obtain your quote and have the best coverage for you!

FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 for Flood Insurance Premiums

In 2021/2022, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP's) methodology for calculating NFIP flood insurance premiums. This new methodology, Risk Rating 2.0, utilizes the latest technology, updated data, and modern catastrophe modeling to provide rates that are actuarily sound, and reflects the flood hazard for each property's unique characteristics.

Prior to Risk Rating 2.0, the NFIP's flood insurance premiums were based on relatively static measurements, emphasizing a property's elevation within a FEMA-mapped flood hazard area, and the cost of rebuilding was not taken into account. Under the old method, policyholders with lower-valued homes were paying more than their shared risk while policyholders with higher-valued homes were paying less than their shared risk.

Risk Rating 2.0 takes into account numerous flood risk variables, including flood frequency, river overflow, storm surcharge, coastal erosion, heavy rainfall, distance to a water source, property and structure attributes, and cost to reconstruct. This allows FEMA to equally distribute rates amongst all policyholders based on the value of their home and the flood risks associated with the unique characteristics of their property.

For more information go to Frequently Asked Questions - Risk Rating 2.0

El Niño is Here!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts the ongoing 2026 El Niño condition will continue to get stronger through the end of the year, carrying an 81% chance of becoming a "very strong" event from October to December 2026 and a 97% chance of staying through early spring 2027.

Prior to Risk Rating 2.0, the NFIP's flood insurance premiums were based on relatively static measurements, emphasizing a property's elevation within a FEMA-mapped flood hazard area, and the cost of rebuilding was not taken into account. Under the old method, policyholders with lower-valued homes were paying more than their shared risk while policyholders with higher-valued homes were paying less than their shared risk.

What is the National Flood Insurance Program?

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reduce loss of life and property, and meet the rising costs of federal disaster relief due to flooding. The Program is voluntary. Los Angeles County entered the NFIP in 1980. Los Angeles County's participation in the program makes federally-backed flood insurance available to the County's unincorporated area residents and allows them access to direct federal relief following federally-declared flood disasters if federal criteria are met. In exchange, the County agrees to manage floodplains in the unincorporated areas and regulated development within those floodplains in accordance with NFIP requirements.

Los Angeles County Public Works manages the County's ongoing floodplain management program for the unincorporated areas. The program includes mapping of flood hazard areas associated with FEMA's Base Flood, which are shown on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and the County's Capital Flood, which are shown on the County Floodway Maps. The program also includes adopting County Code ordinances associated with flood hazard areas, and regulating and enforcing safe building practices in flood hazard areas. It is the combination of these activities that promote flood protection to our unincorporated areas and maintain LA County's eligibility to participate in the NFIP on behalf of its unincorporated area residents.

Links to various components of Los Angeles County's floodplain management program activities are listed on the left side of this page. A brief activity description is located on each page to provide a better insight of our program and the corresponding value to Los Angeles County's unincorporated areas.

Most of the 88 incorporated cities in Los Angeles County also participate in the NFIP and have their own floodplain management programs. City residents may also find the information on this website useful, and are encouraged to contact their city governments for flood risk information specific to their areas.

Who to Contact with Questions on the National Flood Insurance Program

For information regarding the NFIP in unincorporated Los Angeles County, please contact the Public Works Flood Zone Hotline at (626) 458-4321.

For information regarding the NFIP in incorporated (city) areas, please use the link below to access the contact list of floodplain managers for cities in Los Angeles County.

NFIP City Contact List