Get your free LOMA assessment today! No Elevation Certificate needed!
More about LiDAR data and the LOMA process
LiDAR, short for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that operates on the principle of emitting laser pulses towards a target area and measuring the time it takes for the reflected light to return to the sensor. This time-of-flight data combined with the known speed of light, allows the system to calculate the distance from the sensor to the target surface with remarkable precision. By scanning the laser across the environment, LiDAR can generate detailed 3D point clouds, capturing the shape and elevation of objects and terrain, enabling applications in various fields, such as autonomous vehicles, archaeology, and floodplain management.
During the early 2000s, the utilization of LiDAR sensors mounted on planes emerged as a pioneering solution for significantly improving floodplain mapping accuracy. This cutting-edge technology subsequently paved the way for a more comprehensive and well-funded initiative to map the entire United States. Most of this LiDAR data is publicly available, you just have to have the knowhow and software to utilize it. We have successfully leveraged this process to acquire several Letter of Map Amendment's (LOMA's) throughout the United States, and we would like to do that for you as well!
The Vertical Accuracy of FEMA flood maps
The quality of FEMA's flood maps run the gamut. The most topographically accurate maps utilize ground-verified LiDAR data, with vertical accuracy's down to the centimeter. Generally speaking, the newer the FEMA flood map, the better the chance that FEMA relied on LiDAR generated topography data. However, slightly older but still current FEMA flood maps are sometimes based off of coarser satellite data, with vertical accuracy's in the meter range (3.28 feet is roughly equivalent to 1 meter). The most inaccurate FEMA flood maps are generally the oldest, and sometimes rely on "Topo" maps dating back to the 1980's, 1970's and beyond.
What's worse is that some newer FEMA flood maps occasionally recycle older flood zone delineation data from historic FEMA flood maps that covered the same area. Why does this happen? It's less expensive and requires fewer resources for the map maker to recycle old information, rather than re-study the area with more accurate LiDAR data. Let us provide you with a free LiDAR LOMA consultation today!
