Floodplain Information

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

Your Homeowners Insurance Does Not Cover Floods!!

The NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available in participating communities for all buildings, whether they are in a floodplain or not. Arkansas City participates in the NFIP.

Flood insurance covers direct loss caused by surface flooding which includes a river, stream, or lake overflowing its banks; and local drainage problems.

Structural Coverage includes walls, floors, insulation, furnace and other items permanently attached to the structure.

Contents Coverage may be purchased separately provided the contents are in an insurable building.

Effects of Non Participation of NFIP

When Flood Insurance Is Required

Any direct federal or federally insured loans, grants, or mortgages for the purchase, construction, repair or improvement of buildings located in a special flood hazard area (SFHA), also known as the 100-year floodplain, require the purchase of flood insurance. This applies for funding through:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Credit Administration
Federal Housing Finance Board
Small Business Administration
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Lenders insured by federal agencies (such as FDIC)
Fannie Mae
Freddie Mac

If you are taking out a mortgage, refinancing a mortgage, or receiving a grant or loan for a building located in a special flood hazard area, the agency or lender is mandated by law to require you to purchase a flood insurance policy. The policy must include structural coverage equal to the amount of the loan/financial assistance or the maximum amount available ($250,000 for a single family home), whichever is less. This requirement does not apply to buildings that are not in the SFHA, even though a portion of the property may be flood prone.

Buying Flood Insurance

Information on purchasing flood insurance is available from your insurance agent or at the National Flood Insurance Program website: https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance. There is a 30-day waiting period from the time a policy is purchased until coverage begins, unless the insurance is required in connection with a loan or mortgage.

The City of Arkansas City has applied for rating in the Community Rating System (CRS). This program will provide property owners a 10% discount on their premiums for floodplain management activities implemented by the city. This will be in effect for all NFIP policies issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2024.

Owning and Using Property in a Floodplain

Properties located in a floodplain and in a flood zone, are required to obtain a Floodplain Permit prior to any development and defined below.

Floodplain Regulations

In order to make flood insurance and disaster assistance available to the citizens of Arkansas City, the city participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). A very important part of this participation is the adoption and enforcement of a floodplain ordinance. The City of Arkansas City adopted such an ordinance on August 17, 2010, an an update to this ordinance is currently being reviewed. The floodplain ordinance regulates development in the 100-year floodplain. The main purposes are:

To protect human life & health
To prevent increased flood or drainage hazards
To protect buildings from damage
To decrease taxpayer costs related to flood control projects, flood damage repairs, and rescue operations
To maintain property values
To make federal flood insurance available

Arkansas City Floodplain Ordinance
Administrative Procedures

When A Floodplain Permit Is Required

A floodplain development permit is required for any development in a 100-year floodplain.

Definition of Development

Construction, reconstruction, placement or expansion of a building
Substantial improvement: any repair, or improvement of a building the cost of which is 50% or greater than the market value of the building before work is started or before the building was damaged.
Placement of a manufactured home
Placement of a travel trailer for more than 180 days
Installing utilities, construction of roads, or similar projects
Construction of levees, walls, fences, bridges, or culverts
Placement of fill
Excavating
Drilling, mining, dredging, or grading
Storage of materials including gas and liquid storage tanks
Stream or river channel modifications

Development Does Not Include:

Routine maintenance
Agricultural practices such as gardening or plowing

How To Apply For A Permit

Floodplain development permit applications are available from the Neighborhood Services Office. Applications must include:

Description of project
Scale drawing of site
Existing and proposed ground elevations (fill/excavation) and/or lowest flood elevations (structure), if required
Engineer’s certificate & calculations (fill), if required
Permit or waiver from the Kansas Department of Agriculture – Division of Water Resources as appropriate

All new buildings/additions or substantially improved buildings must be elevated to one feet above the base flood elevations and require an elevation certificate upon completion.

See the S upporting Documents section at the bottom of this page for Floodplain Development Applications.

Building Protection

There are some buildings that were constructed many years ago in Arkansas City that are located in a floodplain. Some options for protecting these buildings follow. A floodplain development permit would be required prior to construction.

Elevation of the structure to at least one foot above the base flood elevation
Construction of barriers between the structure and flood waters
Dry floodproofing or wet floodproofing

Several informative documents on building protection can be found at the FEMA Library

Flooding in Arkansas City

Arkansas City is bordered on two sides by the Arkansas and Walnut Rivers as well as having several minor contributory creeks, and the C Street and Mill Canals. While flooding from the Arkansas River and the Walnut River can USUALLY be forecast in advance, over bank flooding and flash flooding can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Arkansas City can flood in any season, but floods are most common during the spring and summer months. The flood of 1998 was a devastating flood for the eastern part of Arkansas City. Rainfall started on Friday, October 30, 1998 and ended on November 2 during Arkalalah. Arkansas City received 5.50" of rain. In addition to this there was about 6 to 10 inches of rain that fell over the drainage basin north of Arkansas City which is what ultimately caused the river to rise and in addition to this October 1998 was wetter than normal. Arkansas City recorded 10.26 inches that month which is nearly 7 inches above normal. After the event the Arkansas River peaked at 28.89 feet and the Walnut River peaked at 32.45 feet and both of those records still stand to date. There were several reasons that the flooding on the east side of the City was so severe. First, the levees South of Madison Avenue were not yet completed. Second, the tie back levee on the north end of the city was incomplete due to delays related to archeological digging. Finally, the old levee east of the City's F Street Burn Pit failed. Due to this flooding, approximately 3,000 people were evacuated in and around Arkansas City. Cowley County experienced $8 million worth of damages. 88 residential structures were destroyed and another 430 residential structures were heavily damaged by floodwaters. There were also floods in 1923 and 1944 that occurred prior to the levee system being built which most likely resulted in catastrophic flooding in the south part of the City.

To find out if your home is in a flood zone, you may contact the Neighborhood Services office at 620-441-4420 with an address for homes and businesses. Elevation Certificates may also available.

Water heights for the Arkansas River and the Walnut River including area reservoirs can be monitored at the following websites:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (for reservoirs)
Flood Gauge Information

Flood Safety

Half of all people who die in floods die from driving through flood waters. Swift moving water may wash out a section of a roadway completely, making an area that looks a few inches deep, several feet deep in reality. A vehicle with low clearance becomes a leaky raft in just 1 foot of water. Vehicles with large tires have a large air capacity (which causes flotation and reduces the friction that holds the tire to the road) and a larger side surface area for moving waters to push against. This allows shallow, fast moving water to push YOUR vehicle into deep, fast moving WATERS!

More good common sense tips:

Do not walk through flood waters. Currents can be deceptive. Six inches of fast moving water can knock you off of your feet.
Stay away from power lines and electrical wires. Turn off the power to your home at the service box. Electricity travels through water. Electrocution is the number 2 killer during a flood.
Be alert of gas leaks. Turn off the gas to your house before a flood. If you smell gas, IMMEDIATELY contact your public utility, gas provider or the Sheriff’s Department. Do not use candles, lanterns or open flames unless your gas is shut off.
Keep children away from flood waters, ditches, culverts, and storm drains. Flood waters carry fluids from dead animals and human produced sewage.
Clean everything that has been wet. As mentioned, flood water is contaminated and may cause severe health threats.
Watch for animals, especially snakes. Small animals have been flooded out of their homes and may seek shelter in yours.
Never use gas engines such as generators, or make charcoal fires indoors. Carbon Monoxide buildup can be deadly.

Flood Protection

If your property is susceptible to flooding, there are some things you can do to reduce damages.

Watertight seals can be applied to brick and block walls to protect against low level flooding. (less than 2 feet)
Furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters and major appliances can be elevated on platforms or moved to higher floors.
Temporary measures like sandbagging and removing items from the flooded area can be utlized.
Surprisingly, elevating or relocating the entire structure may be a feasible option with a very special rider on flood insurance policies.

Benefits of a Natural Floodplain

Floodplains play a valuable role in providing natural and beneficial functions to Arkansas City. Floodplains that are left undisturbed provide a wide range of benefits to both human and natural systems. The benefits provide aesthetic pleasure as well as function to provide active processes such as filtering nutrients and farm chemicals in run-off so that these areas and other wildlife can maintain bio-diversity and ecosystem sustainability. Floodplains contain historic and archeological sites that provide opportunity for education and study, enhance waterfowl, fish and other wildlife habitats and help provide feeding/breeding grounds, and lastly, floodplains provide natural erosion control and open space to reduce future flooding.

Floodplain Determination

Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) provide information to determine if a property is in a 100-year floodplain for regulatory purposes. Updated maps were finalized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency on October 19, 2010. Flood information on the Arkansas River and Walnut River, along with the other minor waterways are provided. Copies of the maps can be reviewed and assistance in interpreting them is available at the Neighborhood Services office (City Hall 2nd Floor).

A property can be generally located on the Flood Insurance Rate Map by creating a Firmette at the FEMA webpage https://msc.fema.gov/portal

Flood Alerts

Flash Flood Watch: A Flash Flood Watch is issued to indicate current or developing conditions that are favorable for flash flooding. The occurrence is neither certain nor imminent. A watch is typically issued within several hours to days ahead of the onset of possible flash flooding.

Flash Flood Warning: A Flash Flood Warning is issued to inform the public, emergency management and other cooperating agencies that flash flooding is in progress, imminent, or highly likely. Flash Flood Warnings are urgent messages as dangerous flooding can develop very rapidly, with a serious threat to life and/or property. Flash Flood Warnings are usually issued minutes to hours in advance of the onset of flooding.

Flood Watch: A Flood Watch is issued to indicate current or developing conditions that are favorable for flooding. The occurrence is neither certain nor imminent. A watch is typically issued within several hours to days ahead of the onset of possible flooding. In situations where a river or stream is expected to be the main source of the flooding, forecast confidence may allow for a Flood Watch to be issued several days in advance.

Flood Warning: A Flood Warning is issued to inform the public of flooding that poses a serious threat to life and/or property. A Flood Warning may be issued hours to days in advance of the onset of flooding based on forecast conditions. Floods occurring along a river usually contain river stage (level) forecasts.

Watches and Warnings are sent to radio and television stations by the National Weather Service office in Wichita:

Local Radio Stations

KACY "1025 The River" 102.5 FM

KSOK 1280 AM/95.9 FM

NOAA Weather Radio – KEC59 162.550 (Wichita)

Local Television Stations

KSNW Channel 3

KAKE Channel 10

KWCH Channel 12

KSAS Channel 24

KSCW Channel 33

Other helpful links: