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Data updated October 22, 2026

Data updated October 22, 2026

Miami-Dade's new flood maps take effect February 19, 2027

Updated October 22, 2026

FEMA has set February 19, 2027 as the effective date of new Flood Insurance Rate Maps and the Flood Insurance Study for Miami-Dade County and all its incorporated areas (91 FR 65238, October 14, 2026). Until that date the maps in effect since September 11, 2009, with later revisions, remain the official maps.

New flood maps for Miami-Dade County take effect on February 19, 2027. FEMA published the Final Flood Hazard Determinations notice on October 14, 2026 (91 FR 65238, docket FEMA-B-2166). It sets that date for the new Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for “Miami-Dade County, Florida and Incorporated Areas.” Until then, the current maps stay in force. Every zone figure in our ZIP reports describes the current maps.

What the final notice says

The notice covers changes to Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries, zone designations and regulatory floodways. FEMA states that notification was published in local newspapers, that 90 days have passed since then, and that any appeals have been resolved. The new FIRM and FIS report can be inspected at each community’s map repository. FEMA says they will be online at its Map Service Center by the effective date.

The notice lists 35 participating communities:

  • Unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
  • Cities: Aventura, Coral Gables, Doral, Florida City, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Homestead, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, Miami Springs, North Bay Village, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-Locka, South Miami, Sunny Isles Beach, Sweetwater and West Miami.
  • Towns: Bay Harbor Islands, Cutler Bay, Golden Beach, Medley, Miami Lakes and Surfside.
  • Villages: Bal Harbour, Biscayne Park, El Portal, Indian Creek, Key Biscayne, Miami Shores, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and Virginia Gardens.

How the county got here

Miami-Dade County’s FEMA maps page says the last full map update took effect on September 11, 2009. Individual map revisions have been made since, so the county tells owners to check the National Flood Hazard Layer for their area. The same page was written for an earlier preliminary release. It said that map “could become effective as early as March 1, 2022,” at the end of a 90-day comment and appeal period. The 2009 maps are still in effect. FEMA’s preliminary maps for the county were issued on August 8, 2024, and the final determination followed in October 2026.

The county says most zone changes come from more detailed topographic surveys of ground elevation and a different coastal flood modelling method that uses 2D models. Miami-Dade County and the South Florida Water Management District gave FEMA engineering and topographic data for the study.

What changes on February 19, 2027

On the effective date, the new zones and BFEs become the legal basis for two things. The notice says the FIRM and FIS are “the basis of the floodplain management measures” a community must adopt to stay in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). From that day, the county and each city apply the new zones and BFEs to floodplain permits. FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 page says the maps also still drive “the mandatory purchase requirement.” A building that moves into Zone A or Zone V with a federally backed mortgage will need flood insurance. A building that moves out of the SFHA no longer triggers the federal requirement, though a lender may still ask for coverage. See flood insurance requirements for the rules.

Before February 19, 2027 From February 19, 2027
Official map for permits and lenders Current FIRM (2009 base, as revised) New FIRM and FIS
Preliminary map Information only Becomes the effective map
Letters of Map Change Valid on current panels Incorporated, revalidated or superseded
NFIP premium Not set by zone Not set by zone

What it means for flood insurance under Risk Rating 2.0

Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA says its pricing “does not use flood zones to determine flood risk.” A map change therefore does not by itself raise or lower an NFIP premium the way it did under the old zone-based tables. Flood map data still feeds the catastrophe models behind the rates, and most annual increases are capped at 18%. See how flood insurance premiums are set.

For buildings mapped into the SFHA for the first time, FEMA offers a Newly Mapped discount. It applies to a property previously in Zone B, C or X that is newly mapped into an SFHA, or one previously in Zone D, A99 or AR that is mapped into a different SFHA zone. The policy must be bought or renewed within the first 12 months after the map update. FEMA describes it as a 70% discount on the first $35,000 of building coverage and the first $10,000 of contents coverage. It phases out with increases of no more than 18% a year until the premium reaches full risk.

The usual 30-day wait before a new flood policy takes effect also does not apply to a policy bought within a year after a map revision, under 42 U.S.C. 4013(c), so an owner newly mapped into the high-risk zone can be covered immediately.

Letters of Map Change and revalidation

A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision based on Fill (LOMR-F) issued against the current map does not carry over automatically. FEMA’s revalidation guidance says that when a revised panel takes effect, all earlier map actions on it are superseded and must be re-evaluated. Each letter is then placed in one of three groups:

  • Incorporated into the new map.
  • Revalidated, listed in a Revalidation Letter that takes effect one day after the FIRM effective date.
  • Superseded by new flood hazard data, after which it is no longer valid.

If a property relies on a LOMA, check where it falls before February 19, 2027. If the letter is superseded and the building is above the new BFE, a new request will be needed after the date (how LOMAs work).

How to check the preliminary map

  • Miami-Dade’s Preliminary Flood Zones Viewer shows the preliminary zones. It includes a “Changes Since Last FIRM” layer that marks where and how zones change.
  • The county’s Flood Zone web application and its flood zone hotline (305-372-6466) give the current and preliminary determination for a property.
  • FEMA’s Map Service Center will carry the final FIRM panels and FIS report by the effective date. Each community’s map repository, listed in the Federal Register notice, holds copies for inspection.

What buyers should do before and after the date

Before February 19, 2027:

  1. Look up both the current zone and the preliminary zone for the property, and note any change in BFE.
  2. If the building moves into the SFHA, ask a lender how it will apply the new map to the loan. Ask an agent about buying or renewing NFIP coverage within the Newly Mapped window.
  3. Ask the seller for any Elevation Certificate or LOMA, and check how the LOMA is treated on the new panel.
  4. If you plan to build or renovate, ask the building department which BFE will apply to permits filed near the date.

After February 19, 2027:

  1. Confirm the zone on the effective FIRM or the National Flood Hazard Layer.
  2. Check for a Revalidation Letter covering any earlier LOMA.
  3. Expect lenders to apply the new map at closing, refinance or loan review.

Our Miami-Dade County report and its ZIP pages use the maps in effect now. FEMA’s county penetration table (as of August 3, 2026) counts 199,250 of 492,181 residential structures in the current SFHA. Our building-level count from the current map puts 38.4% of residential buildings in the SFHA. Both figures will change once the new map takes effect and the National Flood Hazard Layer is updated.

Questions

When do the new Miami-Dade flood maps take effect?

On February 19, 2027. FEMA's final flood hazard determination notice (91 FR 65238, published October 14, 2026, docket FEMA-B-2166) set that date for the new FIRM and Flood Insurance Study for Miami-Dade County and its incorporated areas.

Will my flood insurance premium change when the new map takes effect?

Not directly because of the zone. Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA does not use flood zones to set NFIP premiums. The map does decide whether a federally backed lender must require flood insurance.

Does a LOMA on the current map stay valid after February 19, 2027?

Not automatically. When a revised FIRM panel takes effect, earlier Letters of Map Change on that panel are either incorporated into the new map, revalidated in a Revalidation Letter effective one day after the map date, or superseded.

Which map do your ZIP reports use?

The maps in effect now. Our flood zone figures come from FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, which does not include preliminary maps, so they will change after February 19, 2027.

Sources

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