Skip Maine state header navigation
Tags
inlandWaters, flood insurance rate maps, emergency preparedness, inlandWaters, special flood hazard areas, elevation, geoscientificInformation, Q3, imageryBaseMapsEarthCover, health
The Flood Zone Q3 is the basis for floodplain management, mitigation, and insurance activities for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Insurance applications include enforcement of the mandatory purchase requirement of the Flood Disaster Protection Act, which "requires the purchase of flood insurance by property owners who are being assisted by Federal programs or by Federally supervised, regulated, or insured agencies or institutions in the acquisition or improvement of land facilities located or to be located in identified areas having special flood hazards" (Section 2 (b) (4) of the 1973 Flood Disaster Protection Act). In addition to the identification of Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), the risk zones shown on the FIRMs are the basis for the establishment of premium rates for flood insurance coverage offered through the NFIP. Q3 Flood Data files convey certain key features from the existing hard copy FIRM. Edge-matching errors, overlaps and deficiencies in coverage, and similar problems are not corrected during digitizing or post-processing. The Q3 Flood Data files are intended to provide users with automated flood risk data that may be used to locate SFHAs. More detailed information may be obtained from the paper FIRM.
Flood Data Q3 is derived from the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mapped at 1:24000 scale. The file is georeferenced to the earth's surface using the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection and a zonal coordinate system (units in meters). Specifications for the horizontal control of Q3 Flood Data files are consistent with those required for mapping at a scale of 1:24000.
Acknowledgment of FEMA would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Credit should always be given to the data source and/or originator when the data is transferred or printed.
Users must assume responsibility in determining the usability of this data for their purposes. Digital maps retain the accuracy of their source materials. The best use of data mapped at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:250,000 is in statewide planning and studies; at 1:100,000 in regional planning and studies; at 1:62,500 and 1:24,000 in detailed studies and local planning; and at 1:12,000 and 1:5,000 or larger scales in parcel level studies and detailed local planning. In the use of Maine GIS data, please check sources, scale, accuracy, currentness and other available information. Please confirm that you are using the correct copy of both data and metadata from the Maine GIS Data Catalog. Updates, corrections, and feedback, incorporated in the Maine GIS database are made in accordance with "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", 2002, and coordinated by MEGIS.
Extent
There is no extent for this item.
Acknowledgment of FEMA would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Credit should always be given to the data source and/or originator when the data is transferred or printed.
Monday through Friday
See access and use constraints information.
Users must assume responsibility in determining the usability of this data for their purposes. Digital maps retain the accuracy of their source materials. The best use of data mapped at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:250,000 is in statewide planning and studies; at 1:100,000 in regional planning and studies; at 1:62,500 and 1:24,000 in detailed studies and local planning; and at 1:12,000 and 1:5,000 or larger scales in parcel level studies and detailed local planning. In the use of Maine GIS data, please check sources, scale, accuracy, currentness and other available information. Please confirm that you are using the correct copy of both data and metadata from the Maine GIS Data Catalog. Updates, corrections, and feedback, incorporated in the Maine GIS database are made in accordance with "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", 2002, and coordinated by MEGIS.
Monday through Friday
polygon feature class
Enivronmental Research Systems Institute, Inc. (ESRI)
Undeveloped Coastal Barrier Area- this item indicates whether the area is inside or outside of a designated Coastal Barrier Area or Otherwise Protected Area. Only the extents of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act area boundaries are portrayed in the Q3 Flood Data files. The boundaries between Coastal Barrier Resources Act areas and Otherwise Protected Areas and between areas with different designation dates are not included in the Q3 Flood Data files. Users should refer to the FIRM for such information.
FEMA FIRM Multiple Codes refer to "Q3 Flood Data Specifications" available at <http://msc.fema.gov/MSC/q3users.htm>
identifies a county, city, or other community responsible for floodplain management (numeric value assigned by FEMA)
FEMA FIRM
county FIPS code
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
standard 5-digit state and county FIPS code
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
Eleven-digit alpha-numeric code that identifies portion of community covered or not covered by a FIRM panel.
FEMA FIRM, code comprised of a unique alpha-numeric sequence based on FIPS and FEMA Community and Panel identification numbers
channel, river or watercourse reserved for flood discharge
FEMA FIRM, multiple codes refer to "Q3 Flood Data Specifications" available at <http://msc.fema.gov/MSC/q3users.htm> for additional information
Type of flood zone
FEMA
origin latitude (degrees) of 7.5-minute quadrangle
USGS quadrangle Index
FIRM panel number and suffix
FEMA FIRM, code comprised of a unique alpha-numeric sequence based on FIPS and FEMA Community and Panel identification numbers
type of FIRM panel represented
FEMA FIRM, multiple codes refer to "Q3 Flood Data Specifications" available at <http://msc.fema.gov/MSC/q3users.htm> for additional information
Internal feature number.
ESRI
FIRM community/county identifier
FEMA FIRM, code comprised of a unique alpha-numeric sequence based on FIPS and FEMA Community and Panel identification numbers
USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle identifier
USGS quadrangle Index
index number to 7.5 minute quadrangle
USGS quadrangle Index
in/out of flood zone designation indicates if the area is a Special Flood Hazard Area and corresponds to ZONE types
determined from data topology
state FIPS code
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
state FIPS code
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
polygon shade symbols for graphic output based on polygon codes for ZONE, FLOODWAY, and COBRA
(Users should note that in order to replicate these colors, a Q3 Shadeset must be installed.) <http://msc.fema.gov/MSC/q3users.htm> for additional information
Feature geometry.
ESRI
Monday through Friday
Flood Data Q3 is derived from the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mapped at 1:24000 scale. The file is georeferenced to the earth's surface using the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection and a zonal coordinate system (units in meters). Specifications for the horizontal control of Q3 Flood Data files are consistent with those required for mapping at a scale of 1:24000.
The Flood Zone Q3 is the basis for floodplain management, mitigation, and insurance activities for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Insurance applications include enforcement of the mandatory purchase requirement of the Flood Disaster Protection Act, which "requires the purchase of flood insurance by property owners who are being assisted by Federal programs or by Federally supervised, regulated, or insured agencies or institutions in the acquisition or improvement of land facilities located or to be located in identified areas having special flood hazards" (Section 2 (b) (4) of the 1973 Flood Disaster Protection Act). In addition to the identification of Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), the risk zones shown on the FIRMs are the basis for the establishment of premium rates for flood insurance coverage offered through the NFIP. Q3 Flood Data files convey certain key features from the existing hard copy FIRM. Edge-matching errors, overlaps and deficiencies in coverage, and similar problems are not corrected during digitizing or post-processing. The Q3 Flood Data files are intended to provide users with automated flood risk data that may be used to locate SFHAs. More detailed information may be obtained from the paper FIRM.
None
Users must assume responsibility in determining the usability of this data for their purposes. Digital maps retain the accuracy of their source materials. The best use of data mapped at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:250,000 is in statewide planning and studies; at 1:100,000 in regional planning and studies; at 1:62,500 and 1:24,000 in detailed studies and local planning; and at 1:12,000 and 1:5,000 or larger scales in parcel level studies and detailed local planning. In the use of Maine GIS data, please check sources, scale, accuracy, currentness and other available information. Please confirm that you are using the correct copy of both data and metadata from the Maine GIS Data Catalog. Updates, corrections, and feedback, incorporated in the Maine GIS database are made in accordance with "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", 2002, and coordinated by MEGIS.
Monday through Friday
Acknowledgment of FEMA would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Credit should always be given to the data source and/or originator when the data is transferred or printed.
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
In addition to locational and topological information, Q3 Flood data elements are explicitly encoded using attribute items. Each attribute item identifies characteristics about the Flood Hazard Area, COBRA, Floodway, Political Jurisdiction, Quadrangle, or FIRM panel. All polygon data elements may be encoded with one or more feature characteristics.
The FEMA "Q3 Flood Data Specifications" contains a detailed description of each attribute code and a reference to other relevant information <http://msc.fema.gov/MSC/q3users.htm>
The ArcView shapefile and ArcGIS geodatabase formats, commonly used for Maine GIS data, carry default identifiers and attributes that are software generated and/or important for internal recordkeeping. These are listed here to avoid repetition for every layer, and may not be repeated in the attribute descriptions and definitions of each layer. Common software generated identifiers and attributes in Maine GIS data include: FID (feature identifier), Shape (feature geometry), OBJECTID and SHAPE_lengt. In addition, most GIS formats will carry fields for PERIMETER, AREA and/or LENGTH according to feature geometry. These fields are typically available by default, with the units based on coordinate system or projection units of GIS data. Most GIS software packages also provide a means to calculate these values. It is important to test any columns containing PERIMETER, AREA or LENGTH values before using them for analysis purposes. These important values can be carried from format to format and become out-dated. Verify that the values are correct. Also, in your GIS software, please view the properties of data layers for the map units used to calculate these fields, and for the units set for display purposes.
Monday through Friday
See access and use constraints information.
Monday through Friday