This newsletter is provided as a public service to promote awareness of flood hazards in our Town. The Town Library provides flood protection information and maintains copies on the flood insurance rate maps for the entire county along with explanations on their use to determine flood zones and elevations.
Surrounded completely by water, the Town of Manalapan is especially vulnerable to flooding. The Town has historically seen flooding occur and can experience future flooding from both the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway due to tropical events such as hurricanes/ tropical storms and the accompanying storm surge, as well as extreme high tide events such as King Tides, spring storms, and rogue waves. Additionally, as is the case in all South Florida, the Town can experience flooding from extreme rainfall events that temporarily overwhelm the drainage capacity of the local stormwater system, as well as the corresponding rise in the water levels of canals, lakes and local waterways that the rainfall drains into.
Flood zones are geographic areas the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has defined according to varying levels of flood risk. These zones are depicted on a community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). Each zone reflects the severity or type of flooding that is possible in the area.
Everyone lives in an area with some flood risk—do you live in a high-risk, low-risk, or moderate-risk flood area?
Properties within the Town of Manalapan are located in several different FEMA flood zones. The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for the Town of Manalapan is available at the Library or Town Hall and includes an explanation of the Flood Zone Designations. The Town provides map determinations to let you know in which flood zone your building is located. You may contact Town Hall at (561) 585-9477 to find out:
You can also find your Flood Zone by typing your address into the Palm Beach County “Flood Zone Look-up Tool”. Go to Readypbc.org and click on “Know Your Zone”.
It is important to know the difference between your Flood Zone (based on overall flood risk to your property from all flood sources) and your Evacuation Zone (based on the likelihood of experiencing life threatening storm surge flooding during storm events).
When it appears that your neighborhood is at risk of becoming inundated, there are simple things you can do to protect your property, such as:
Many of the things you own are not only valuable but are considered by you to be irreplaceable. These items should be elevated above the floor level and placed in watertight containers to protect them from flood damage.
There are also actions you can take now to permanently protect your property from future flood damage. Be sure to contact the Building Department before making any changes, as these options require permits:
To find out more about retrofitting your home visit: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/fema_homeowners-guide-to-retrofitting_guide.pdf
Financial Assistance may be available to help cover the cost of these improvements.
Town staff are available to provide property protection advice and recommend options such as those listed above. Staff will also perform site visits when needed to help you address flood issues on your property. Call or visit the Building Department at (561) 585-9477 or at Town Hall, 600 S. Ocean Blvd. Manalapan, Fl. 33462 for more information.
The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for the Town of Manalapan is available at the Library or Town Hall and includes an explanation of the Flood Zone Designations. The Town provides map determinations to let you know if you are in a flood hazard area.
The National Flood Insurance Program requires an existing building to meet the same construction standards as a new building if the cost of reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvements equals or exceeds 50% of the building’s market value. Substantially damaged buildings, for which repairs will equal or exceed 50% of the building’s market value, must also be brought up to the same standards.
A community can lose a portion of its drainage system carrying or storage capacity due to dumping debris, soil erosion and sedimentation and overgrowth of vegetation. When this happens flooding can occur, subjecting properties otherwise protected to unnecessary risk or damage. Keep grass clippings and other debris out of storm water drainage to prevent clogging and loss of storm water storage. If you experience any localized drainage problems, illegal floodplain development, or illegal dumping violations, please call the Building Department at (561) 585-9477.
Flood insurance is an important and practical part of everyone’s disaster planning. Most homeowners’ insurance policies do not offer protection against flood damage. Flood Insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Coverage is available for existing structures, buildings under construction, businesses, and contents of insurable, fully enclosed buildings located in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). For further information call NFIP at 1-800-638-6620, your local insurance agent, or contact the website http://www.fema.gov/nfip. The Building Dept. will provide FEMA elevation certification information for any property within the Town limits. The certificates are kept at Town Hall, 600 S. Ocean Blvd. Manalapan, Fl. 33462. The Town’s participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) provides each flood insurance policy holder within the Town a ten percent (10%) discount. The discount should immediately be applied to your premium notice. For more information, call 585-9477.
The Building Dept. will provide FEMA elevation certification information, such as whether or not an elevation certificate is on file, for any property within the Town limits. To find out more call us at (561) 585-9477. Copies of FEMA Elevation Certificates on all buildings constructed in the Town’s floodplain since 2001 are available at the Building Department, in Town Hall, 600 S. Ocean Blvd. Manalapan, Fl. 33462.
You can also type your address into this map to see if there is a downloadable EC on file for your property: https://florida.withforerunner.com/ When your property pops up, click on “Files” to see if there is an EC available, then, if there is a file listed, click on the three dots to the right of the file name to open or download it.
Be aware of what steps to take to minimize your losses due to flooding. The local television and radio stations will warn you when it is necessary to secure your property and evacuate.
Live electrical lines cause most hazards. If it appears that floodwaters will enter your home, turn off all electric and gas service. If you find that water has entered your home, do not touch electrical switches or appliances to either turn them on or off. Outside, avoid any pools of water in which a downed power line is laying. You must assume that all downed power lines are energized.
Turn around, don’t drown! Never drive through flooded roadways or walk through flooded areas. Never let children play in flood waters. Flood water can contain hidden hazards like displaced wildlife, contaminants, downed electrical lines, sharp debris and other dangers.
Always use generators outside in well-ventilated areas after the storm has passed. Beware of fire and carbon monoxide risks.
For more information about hurricane preparedness and storm safety, visit our hurricane preparation page: https://manalapan.org/hurricane-preparation/
Be prepared to evacuate!
The Town is covered by Palm Beach County’s Flood Warning System. The Division of Emergency Management closely monitors potentially dangerous situations in more than 40 hazard categories, including flood events caused by torrential rain, tropical storms and coastal storm surge, and employs the best available technologies and methods for disseminating critical information to all areas of the community.
Among its many notification systems used are: media releases; the Emergency Alert System (television and radio alerts); direct radio broadcasts via weather radios; telephone, text, and email notifications using the AlertPBC mass notification system; direct warnings using police, fire-rescue, EMS vehicle mounted loudspeakers and sirens; social media; and the Emergency Information Center. Local authorities will issue flood watches (when conditions are likely for flooding) and flood warnings (when flooding is imminent). You will be advised of measures you should take to protect your property and yourself.
For emergency updates:
Monitor local water levels:
During periods of prolonged rainfall, areas of the county are kept under surveillance and Town staff report to the Emergency Operating Center. When advised of problem areas, response actions will be taken. If the National Weather Service forecasts intense rainfall in the near future, the Town’s drainage system can be lowered in an attempt to receive the extraordinary volume of water expected.
Palm Beach County Emergency Plans can be found here:
Homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover losses due to flooding!
For most, a home and its contents are their greatest investment. Flood insurance should be an important and practical part of everyone’s disaster planning. Every property in the Town is exposed to the possibility of flood damage, from hurricanes or otherwise, and should be protected with a flood insurance policy. The Town of Manalapan participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which makes flood insurance available to everyone in the Town. This includes property owners and renters. But don’t wait! There is a usually 30-day waiting period before policies go into effect.
NFIP coverage is available for existing structures, buildings under construction, businesses, and contents of insurable, fully enclosed buildings located both in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) and also in lower risk flood zones such as X Zones.
Contact your insurance agent and have him or her discuss the types of coverage available to you. For further information visit floodsmart.gov, go to http://www.fema.gov/nfip or call NFIP at 1-800-638-6620.
The Town’s participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) provides each flood insurance policy holder within the Town a ten percent (10%) discount on qualifying NFIP policies. The discount should immediately and automatically be applied to your premium. For more information about the importance of flood insurance, call us at (561) 585-9477.
The Town of Manalapan Building Department requires permits for all construction. This includes new construction, repair/replacement work, additions, signs, fences, fill, tree removal, etc. The Town of Manalapan has adopted the Florida Building Code. Parts of this code regulate the amounts and types of construction in the floodplain. You must always consult with the building official when planning any kind of construction. When others violate our building laws, it could affect your property. The building official should be made aware of such activities.
All development in the floodplain (not just construction of buildings) require local permits. Contact the Building Department at (561) 585-9477 before you build, fill, or otherwise develop. PLEASE REPORT any illegal floodplain development immediately at (561) 585-4030 24/7.
ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN! It is illegal to dump anything into local streams, canals, waterways or storm drains. Local storm drains empty directly into local waterways, and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean, affecting the health of local wildlife, marine life, critical habitats and the people who enjoy these areas, To report illegal dumping please call the Building Department at (561) 585-9477.
Floodplains provide numerous flood loss reduction benefits because of their unique natural functions.
Some of the benefits of floodplains include:
Natural floodplains such as wetlands and other open green spaces provide flood risk reduction benefits by slowing runoff and storing floodwater. One acre of floodplain flooded 1 foot deep holds approximately 330,000 gallons of water. In coastal areas, floodplain features such as beaches, sand bars, dunes, and wetlands act as natural barriers to dissipate waves and protect back-lying areas from flooding and erosion. Slowing runoff across the floodplain allows additional time for the runoff to infiltrate and recharge available groundwater aquifers when there is unused storage capacity. The slowing of runoff provides the additional benefit of natural purification of water as local runoff, rainfall or floodwater infiltrates and percolates through the soil.
Requiring floodplain permits and enforcing stream dumping regulations are some of the ways the Town protects the local floodplain, but it is up to each resident to understand the importance of the floodplain and keep these areas clean.