Map Information Service Provided 

The City of Lake Charles joined the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on October 16, 1979, with the adoption of its floodplain management ordinance, Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Floodway Maps. The information on the flood insurance rate maps was obtained from the studies prepared by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers under contract with FEMA. The NFIP requires each local government to join the flood insurance program by adoption of the flood hazard rate maps and an ordinance to guide development within the mapped floodplains. 

Click here for a .pdf version of the City of Lake Charles Floodplain Management Regulations. 

The City of Lake Charles became a participant of the Community Rating System in 2004 by obtaining a Class 9 rating, which gives the citizens a discount on their flood insurance premium. We save on an average of $200,000.00 each year for citizens due to our participation in the Community Rating System. 

MAP INFORMATION SERVICES: There are several ways residents, lenders, insurance agents, and real estate agents can obtain FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) information within the City of Lake Charles Municipal boundary. This can be done in person, over the phone, through email, or through a website.

You can find out if your property or project is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area that requires flood insurance prior to purchase or construction.  The Planning and Development Department will provide this information by phone, email, or in person on the 7th floor of City Hall.  The property’s Flood Zone Verification will be determined and document in writing, Flood Zone Verification Letter (FZVL). The FZVL  includes: · All FIRM panel information. i.e. Community number, Panel and Suffix number, flood zone designation, and Base Flood Elevation (BFE), · floodway, · minimum Base Flood Elevation grade and · the Cities Freeboard Grade elevation requirement. Hard-copies of the FZVL are retained as well as digital stored on protected servers for historical review.  This allows the citizens, loan agencies, real estate and insurance agents access to review the historical records for properties located outside or within a Special Flood Hazard Area that a Flood Determination has been completed on.

Also by logging into the City’s online portal, tps://www.cityoflakecharles.com, and click: Government - Planning & Development – Flood Plain Management site – Know Your Zone Elevation Requirements for the NFIP.  The following portals will allow you to obtain site specific FIRM information:

REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTIES & LOMA IDENTIFICATION: The GIS Mapping, City Of Lake Charles (totaland.com), can be searched for any parcel in all of the jurisdictions by streets address, owner name or parcel ID numbers.  Repetitive Loss Properties (RLP) and Letter of Map Amendments (LOMA) are also identified on the Cities’ GIS mapping.  All updated mapping information i.e. RLP and LOMA… are submitted to the Calcasieu Parish GIS Department quarterly which updates the City’s GIS mapping.   

OUT REACH PROGRAMS: This document implements both the Program for Public Information and the Flood Response Preparation package under this activity. On behalf of all of the City of Lake Charles jurisdiction, the Calcasieu Parish  Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, Contact OHSEP | Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, LA,  is the Emergency Operations Center are responsible for flood response preparation and for communication during and after a storm.

FLOOD PROTECTION INFORMATION: The FEMA “Flood Smart” online portal offers the latest news for our homeowners or commercial property owners directly from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The site provides information such as: why flood insurance is needed, · the cost of flooding, · what’s covered, · how to reduce your flood risk cost, · and allows access to additional Flood Insurance Rate Maps.  It is important for Real Estate Agents to let your client know that homeowners’ insurance policies typically do not cover floods. If a property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), your client may be required by their lender to purchase flood insurance as a condition of the loan. The Q & A link discusses the requirements under the NFIP.

Flooding is a temporary overflow of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. Failing to evacuate flooded areas or entering flood waters can lead to injury or death.

Floods in our community may:

  • Result from rain, coastal storms, and storm surge from hurricane, rivers, and other water systems.
  • Develop slowly or quickly. Flash floods can come with no warning.
  • Cause outages, disrupt transportation, damage buildings and create landslides.

Make a plan for your household, including your pets so that you and your family know what to do, where to go, and what you will need to protect yourselves from flooding. Hurricanes are dangerous and can cause major damage because of storm surge, wind damage, rip currents and flooding.  Find out how rain, wind, water, even tornadoes could happen far inland from where a hurricane or tropical storm makes landfall.

FLOOD PROTECTION ASSISTANCE: If your home or business is damaged or destroyed by a flood, you will face major decisions about your property. Do you repair or rebuild? Do you relocate? The decisions you make now can help provide a safer, stronger property for you and your family. If you decide to repair or rebuild, here are some points to consider: • Historic flood risk may not be the same risk you face today or in the future • By rebuilding higher, you can reduce—or avoid—future flood loss and reduce the impact on your finances • The consequences of not having flood insurance coverage can be financially devastating and have a long-term impact on your financial and emotional health. The following links will help you in preparing for such events:

These services are available on the City’s web portal as well as advertised annually in May-June, to all residents within the Municipality via a water bill insert.

FLOOD INSURANCE PROMOTION For information concerning your flood risk, and details on how to protect yourself and your property, please visit:  FloodSmart | The National Flood Insurance Program

For most of us, our home is by far our most valuable possession. Every year there is a potential for flooding in Calcasieu Parish.  Homeowner’s insurance DOES NOT cover damage caused by flooding! You must purchase a separate policy from your insurance agent. People who live near water are not the only ones who experience flooding. Floods move, and can spread for miles. Flooding impacts everything that took a lifetime to accumulate, leaving a residue of mud and debris behind. It's not just high-risk areas that are flooded. Between 20 and 25 percent of flood insurance claims come from medium or low flood-risk areas.

Under FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), federally backed flood insurance is available in communities that adopt and enforce regulations to reduce flood losses (Calcasieu Parish is one of these communities). Flood insurance provides coverage that your homeowners insurance doesn't - coverage for damages caused by floods. When you purchase flood insurance, there is a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.

Protect yourself, your home, your family, and your financial future. Call your insurance company or agent to find out if your community participates in the NFIP. If it does, ask for details about how to buy flood insurance. Policies go into effect 30 days after a policy is purchased. Protect your home and your family today.

FLOOD WARNING & RESPONSE: Normally, the public is advised of these service through an annual mailing to all properties in the community which includes all properties in the SFHA.

The CalcaShout Emergency Alert System is a free service of the Police Jury that puts the latest emergency information in the palm of subscribers' hands wherever they may be. CalcaShout will alert residents about a variety of events, ranging from severe weather, fires, floods and other emergencies, to more routine announcements, such as road closures.   

Messages will be sent to residents on their preferred contact platform - cell phone, SMS, home phone, email, fax, pager and more - to ensure real-time access to potentially lifesaving information. Residents that have a "landline" are already automatically subscribed to alerts by phone, but CalcaShout allows residents to self-register, provide additional contact information or opt out.

Residents may sign-up their contact information and preferred methods of alerts at: CalcaShout Emergency Alert System | Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, LA. If a resident cannot access the internet, or has trouble entering their information, they may call the Office of Emergency Preparedness at 337-721-3800

DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE:  The City of Lake Charles Public Works Department’s goal/mission statement for the street and drainage maintenance division is to maintain safe roadways and sidewalks for pedestrian and vehicular traffic and to maintain City infrastructure drainage systems.

The crews of this division provide general roadway maintenance (maintaining, repairing, improving City streets) and drainage on public streets. Street sweepers ensure streets are free of dirt, leaves, and debris. The maintenance of City streets includes surface treatment and overlay; correction of street failures including handicap ramps, curbs and gutters, construction catch basins, drainage boxes, and patching potholes. The drainage crew is responsible for maintaining the City's drainage system. This drainage system includes underground drainage, surface drainage and open ditch drainage.

The City’s Stormwater Management Standards minimize the adverse impact of elevated construction sites on surrounding developed or undeveloped tracts, Sec. 6-484 Article X General Drainage Requirements for developments. These regulations help eliminate construction site surface runoff into the street storm drains, waterways, or potentially causing flooding on adjacent properties.  

The Planning & Development department web manager periodically checks the above online links to ensure correct routing to the dedicated web site.