Hurricane Sandy Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs)
in New Jersey and New York
 
Portion of an Advisory Base Flood Elevation Map 
Know Your Risk.

View the Advisory Flood Hazards for your Location Today!
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NEW! Advisory Base Flood Elevation information is now
available for the entirety of New York City, in addition to Westchester County, New York and the following New Jersey Counties:   Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union.
  • People with accessibility needs may call 1-800-427-4661 or use our online form to request and receive assistance in identifying and interpreting the Advisory Base Flood Elevation information for their property.

Other Ways to View Advisory Base Flood Elevation Info:

  • Use these map panel indexes to locate and view the Advisory Base Flood Elevation .pdf map panel you need.

Central Region

North Region

South Region

  • GIS Users:  Access information using these Web Services:

ABFE ESRI REST
ABFE Web Map Service (WMS)
ABFE KML (Viewable in Google Earth)

Advisory map panels in .pdf format and GIS shapefiles of data layers are also available for download through FEMA's Interactive ABFE map and the What is my ABFE? tool.  Read the quick start guides for these tools (links above) for more information.  

View a summary of changes made to certain Advisory map panels since the original release of the maps on the Advisory Base Flood Elevation Map Panel Updates page.

Questions or comments about Advisory Base Flood Elevations?  Call the National Flood Insurance Program Help Center at 1(800) 427-4661 or contact us through our online form today.

What are Advisory Base Flood Elevations?
The known flood risk has changed since the last effective community Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for many communities in New Jersey and New York. FEMA is creating Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs) to show a more current picture of flood risk for certain communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. The Advisory information can help communities better understand current flood risks and ensure structures are rebuilt stronger and safer to reduce the impact of similar events in the future.

Information about the methodologies, assumptions and data sources used to develop the Advisory information is available through the New York/New Jersey Coastal Advisory Flood Hazard Information Development Report.

Get Updates
Sign up for FEMA’s e-mail list serve for the latest information on Hurricane Sandy ABFEs. Or sign up for this website’s RSS feed to receive ABFE updates.

Get the Facts
Read the Advisory Base Flood Elevation Fact Sheet to learn more about what ABFEs are, how they were developed, and how they can help you rebuild safer, stronger and smarter! Get answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Advisory Base Flood Elevations.

View your community’s current effective FIRMs (flood maps) on FEMA’s Map Service Center website.

 
  Two people looking at a map
 Know Your Role.

Learn Why ABFEs are
Important to You!
 
FEMA will assist communities in applying the Advisory Base Flood Elevations as they evaluate their risk during the long term recovery and re-building phase. The Advisory information will also be provided to other Federal and State agencies and local governments to assist in carrying out their recovery efforts.  Find out below why Advisory Base Flood Elevations are important to you.

Community Officials - State and local governments can use the Advisory information to site and elevate critical facilities and other public works projects, to plan and evaluate mitigation grant projects, and to guide new construction. Visit the Advisory Base Flood Elevation Toolkit for Community Officials webpage for a full list of resources, including downloadable fact sheets and presentations that can be used to communicate with residents.

Property Owners - Property owners can understand where flood risk exists and decide whether to build to higher standards based on what has been learned from Hurricane Sandy. Visit the Advisory Base Flood Elevation Toolkit for Property Owners webpage for answers to many of your  questions, helpful fact sheets you can download and other resources.

Builders and Architects - Architects and builders can use the Advisory Base Flood Elevations to design responsible rebuilding and rehabilitation solutions for property owners.

Resources:
 • Rebuilding After Hurricane Sandy: Building Safer and Stronger Pays Off
• Building Sciences Fact Sheet
• Advisory Base Flood Elevation FAQ
• ABFE fact sheet
• ABFE Map Layer and Key Term Glossary

Lenders and Insurance Agents - Lenders and insurance agents can help property owners understand how Advisory Base Flood Elevations can affect flood insurance costs.

Resources:
• ABFE fact sheet
• ABFE FAQ
• ABFE Map Layer and Key Term Glossary
• FloodSmart.gov Agent website
• NFIP Write Your Own Program page
 
  
  House being elevated
Take Action!

Explore How You Can
Take Action Now!
 
As communities begin to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, it is important to recognize lessons being learned and to employ mitigation actions that ensure structures are rebuilt stronger, safer, and less vulnerable to future flooding events.

Rebuild Safer and Stronger
If your home or business has been flooded, you can utilize many of FEMA’s resources to better understand how to rebuild safer and stronger.  It is important to contact your local community to understand what you need to know before rebuilding.  Given the level of flood risk you face, there are resources to understand the proper construction techniques that should be used for protecting your home or business.  

Hurricane Sandy Road to Recovery:  A New York Homeowner's Guide is a FEMA publication available to inform homeowners affected by Sandy of different options and resources available for recovery.

The FEMA publication Mitigation Ideas:  A Resource for Reducing Risk from Natural Hazards is available to help communities identify and evaluate potential mitigation actions for reducing risk from natural hazards and disasters. You can also learn about best practices that have been implemented by other communities through FEMA’s Mitigation Best Practices search webpage or view FEMA’s catalog of mitigation fact sheets.

Flood Insurance
Be prepared for the next flood by looking into a flood insurance policy.  Visit FloodSmart.gov to find information on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and to find an insurance agent near you.

For local communities, there is a significant opportunity to help save lives, prevent property damage, and reduce the cost of flood insurance for your residents by joining FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS).  CRS recognizes community efforts beyond the minimum standards for floodplain management by reducing flood insurance premiums for the community’s property owners.

Resources Available to Help an Individual Take Action
Learn about Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage that may be available to help some property owners reduce the risk of damage from future floods by elevating, flood proofing, demolishing, or relocating their building to meet the requirements of a local community’s building ordinances. 

Learn more about FEMA’s hazard mitigation assistance programs which are available to local governments and communities to provide funding for eligible mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages.

Property and business owners should also work with their local communities to determine if there are other programs and resources available to support elevating your home or business.  
 
Questions or comments about Advisory Base Flood Elevations? 
Call the National Flood Insurance Program Help Center at 1(800) 427-4661
or contact us through our online form today.