For assistance with flood zone determination

• Escambia County: (850) 595-3553
• City of Pensacola: (850) 436-5600
• Santa Rosa Island Authority: (850) 932-2257

For an elevation certificate:

• Escambia County: (850) 595-3550
• City of Pensacola: (850) 436-5600
• Pensacola Beach: (850) 932-2257

To determine if you live in a storm surge area, call Escambia County’s Emergency Management office at (850) 471-6400 or see Escambia County storm surge maps.​

Nearly 20,000 Escambia County residents have flood insurance. In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to help provide a means for property owners to financially protect themselves. The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP. Participating communities agree to adopt and enforce ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA requirements to reduce the risk of flooding.

Floodplains are areas where water can collect to provide holding areas until the water has the opportunity to seep into the ground, replenishing our water table and creating natural habitat for wildlife and plant life. A floodplain includes wetlands, marshes, lakes and rivers.

Aside from fire, floods are the most widespread of all natural disasters. Most communities in the United States can experience some kind of flooding, from events such as spring rains, heavy thunderstorms or winter snow thaws. Floods can be slow or fast rising but generally develop over a period of days.

Escambia County relies on its residents for your cooperation and assistance for the following efforts:

• Do not walk through flowing water: Drowning is the leading cause of flood death, as six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. If you walk in standing water, use a pole or stick to locate the ground below.
• Do not drive through flooded areas: During a flood, more people drown in their cars than anywhere else. Do not drive around barricades there may not be a road or a bridge where one used to be.

• Wet flood proofing  - Make uninhabited areas of your home resistant to flood damage when water is permissible to the building.
• Dry flood proofing -  Sealing the home to prevent waters from entering.
• Levee and flood wall  - Constructing barriers to prevent floodwaters from entering the home.
• Elevation - The most common way to avoid flood damage is raising the home so the lowest floor is above the flood level.
• Relocation -  Moving the home to higher ground where the exposure to flooding is eliminated.