Flood Plain Information

Areas within the Village of Howard are located within the floodplain.  Floodplains are lowland areas adjacent to lakes, wetlands and rivers that are covered by water during a flood. The most visible function of a floodplain is its ability to carry and store floodwaters.  In Wisconsin, the primary cause of floods is excessive rain, snowmelt or a combination of the two.

The goals of floodplain management are to minimize the threat to life and property resulting from flooding by promoting the preservation of floodplains for carrying and storing floodwaters and encouraging property owners to proactively mitigate their flood risk by elevating, relocating, or otherwise flood proofing their structures.

Structures located in floodplains must not only be elevated above the flood protection elevation, but they must be placed so as not to diminish the ability of the floodplain to carry and store flood water.  Federal and state governments regulate the building of new or altering of existing structures in flood hazard areas throughout the United States.  In Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources and local municipalities are charged with enforcement of the regulations. Where there is substantial compliance with the rules, owners of properties within the flood fringe benefit by paying lower premiums for flood insurance that is subsidized by the National Flood Insurance Program.

Is your home in a floodplain?

In order to determine your flooding risk, the first thing you should do is check your floodplain proximity. This helpful tool will allow you to do that! Here’s how it works. 

• Click the Brown County GIS flood plain map here.
• Click the "OK" button at the bottom right corner.
• X out of the Layers List.
• Enter your address in the search bar.
• The "Flood Information" text box will summarize FEMA’s risk report for your area’s chance of flooding. The map result will show your proximity to any areas at risk of flooding with red revealing the 100-year floodplain areas, yellow indicating those at risk for 500-year flooding, and dotted areas showing the areas that flooded during most recent events.

It is important to note that even though individual properties may not be included within the floodplain, there is still a chance your property can be at risk from flood damage. If requested, the Department of Public Works will visit a property to review its flood problems and explain ways to stop flooding or prevent damage. To request a drainage review contact the Public Works Department at (920) 434-4060. 

Always check with the village before you build on, alter, re-grade or add fill on your property. A permit may be needed to ensure that projects do not cause issues to neighboring properties.