Engineering Division, National Flood Insurance Program

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

The NFIP is a Federal program, which was established to allow property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance protections against losses from flooding.  Participation in the NFIP is based on an agreement between local communities and the Federal Government that states if a community adopts and enforces floodplain management regulations in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), the Federal Government will make flood insurance, disaster assistance, and mitigation grants available to that participating community.  To learn more about the NFIP visit: https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is the the State Coordinating Agency for the NFIP.  Our primary function is to act as a liaison between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Hawai’i’s four participating counties, by providing technical assistance and support needed to maintain NFIP eligibility through proper administration and enforcement of floodplain management regulations. Each county has a designated Floodplain Manager that should be consulted when developing in the SFHAs and to understand building permit requirements.