Base Flood Elevation (BFE)--The elevation shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Zones AE, AH, and A1-A30, that indicates the water surface elevation resulting from a flood that has a 1 percent chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given year.
Basement--Any area of a building which has its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
Community--A political entity that has the authority to adopt and enforce floodplain ordinances for the area under its jurisdiction.
Date of Construction--The date that the building permit was issued provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, or improvement was within 180 days of the permit date.
Elevated Building--A non-basement building that has its lowest elevated floor raised above the ground level by foundation walls, shear walls, posts, piers, pilings, or columns.
Emergency Program--Typically the first phase under which a community participates in the NFIP. (It is intended to provide a first layer amount of insurance at subsidized rates to all insurable structures in that community before the effective date of the initial Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
Enclosure--That portion of an elevated building below the lowest elevated floor that is either partially or fully shut-in by rigid walls.
Federal Policy Fee--Mandated by the Congress to provide funds to meet those administrative expenses such as federal floodplain management expenses, the cost of flood insurance risk zone and flood elevation studies, and funds to purchase high risk properties to remove them from the insurance rolls. This fee in not subject to producers' commissions, WYO Company expense allowances under the Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement, or state or local premium taxes. The Federal Policy Fee is charged for all new and renewal policies.
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)--Official map of a community on which the Administrator has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
Floodplain--Any land area susceptible to being inundated by flood waters from any source.
Floodplain Management--The operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage, including but not limited to, emergency preparedness plans, flood control works, and floodplain management regulations.
Floodproofing--A combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to structures, which reduce or eliminate risk of flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitation facilities or structures with their contents.
Freeboard--An additional amount of height above the Base Flood Elevation used as a factor of safety (e.g. 2 feet above the Base Flood) in determining the level at which a structure's lowest floor must be elevated or floodproofed to be in accordance with State or community floodplain management regulations.
Grade Elevation--The average or highest natural (pre-construction) ground level that is immediately adjacent to the walls of the building.
Grandfathering--An exemption based on circumstances previously existing. Under the NFIP, buildings located in Emergency Program communities and Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map buildings in the Regular Program are eligible for subsidized flood insurance rates. Post-Flood Insurance Rate Map buildings in the Regular Program built in compliance with the floodplain management regulations in effect at the start of construction will continue to have favorable rate treatment even though higher base flood elevations or more restrictive, greater risk zone designations result from Flood Insurance Rate Map revisions.
Increased Cost of Compliance Endorsement (ICC)--Coverage for expenses a property owner must incur, above and beyond the cost to repair the physical damage the structure actually sustained from a flooding event, to comply with State or local floodplain management ordinances or laws. Acceptable mitigation measures are elevation, floodproofing, relocating, demolition or any combination thereof.
Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA)--An amendment to the currently effective FEMA map which establishes that a property is not located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). A LOMA is issued only by FEMA.
Letter of Map Revision (LOMR)--An official amendment to the currently effective FEMA map. It is issued by FEMA and changes flood zones, delineations, and elevations.
Loss in Progress--A loss that is already in progress as of 12:01 a.m. on the first day of the policy term; or, as to any increase in the limits of coverage which is requested, a loss that is already in progress when the additional coverage is requested.
Lowest Adjacent Grade--The lowest point of the ground level next to the building.
Lowest Floor (Reference Level)--The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including a basement). An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access, or storage in an area other than a basement area, is not considered a building's lowest floor provided that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of requirements.
Lowest Floor Elevation--The measured distance of a building's lowest floor above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) or other datum specified on the FIRM for that location.
Natural Grade--The grade unaffected by construction techniques such as fill, landscaping or berming.
New Construction--Buildings for which the "Start of Construction" commenced on or after the effective date of an initial FIRM or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later, including any subsequent immprovements.
Non-Residential--Includes, but is not limited to: small business concerns, churches, schools, nursing homes, farm buildings (including grain bins and silos), poolhouses, clubhouses, recreational buildings, government buildings, mercantile structures, agricultural and industrial structures, warehouses, and hotels or motels with normal room rentals for less than 6 months' duration.
Other Residential--Hotels or motels where the normal occupancy of a guest is 6 months or more; a tourist home or rooming house which has more than 4 roomers. A residential building (excluding hotels and motels with normal room rentals for less than 6 months' duration and containing more than 4 dwelling units) is permitted incidental office, professional private school, or studio occupancy, provided that the total area of such occupancy is limited to less than 25 percent of the total floor area within the building.
Post-FIRM Construction--Construction or substantial improvement that started on or after the effective date of the initial Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) of the community or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later.
Pre-FIRM Construction--Construction or substantial improvement which started on or before December 31, 1974, or before the effective date of the initial Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) of the community, whichever is later.
Preferred Risk Policy--A package policy offering a variety of coverage combinations for both building and contents at a fixed premium. It is now available for all buildings located in B, C, and X Zones that meet eligibility requirements based on an entire flood loss history.
Probation--A means of formally notifying participating communities of violations and deficiencies in the administration and enforcement of the local floodplain management regulations.
Probation Additional Premium--A flat charge per policy term paid by the Insured on all new and renewal policies issued covering property in a community that has been placed on probation under the provisions of 44 CFR 59.24.
Regular Program--The phase of a community's participation in the NFIP where more comprehensive floodplain management requirements are imposed and higher amounts of insurance are available based upon risk zones and elevations determined in a flood insurance study. The Flood Insurance Rate Map is the map used in this phase of the NFIP.
Replacement Cost--The cost to replace property with the same kind of material and construction without deduction for depreciation.
Sheet Flow Hazard--A type of flood hazard with flooding depths of 1 to 3 feet that occurs in areas of sloping land. The sheet flow hazard is represented by the zone designation AO on the FIRM.
Single Family Residence--A residential single family dwelling. Incidental office, professional, private school, or studio occupancies, including a small service operation, are limited to less than 50 percent of the building's total floor area.
Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)--Darkly shaded area on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) or a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) that identifies an area that has a 1 percent chance of being flooded in any given year (100-year floodplain). Over a 30-year period, the life of most mortgages, there is at least a 26 percent chance that this area will be flooded. The FIRM identifies these shaded areas as FIRM Zones A, AO, AH, A1-A30, AE, A99, V, V1-V30, and VE.
Start of Construction--For other than new construction or substantial improvements, under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, this is the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, rehabilitation, addition, placement, or other improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The actual start means either the first placement of permanent construction of a building on site, such as the pouring of a slab or footing, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured (mobile) home on a foundation. For a substantial improvement, actual start of construction means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.
Submit for Rate--An application for flood insurance on a building for which no risk rate is published in the Flood Insurance Manual. Insurance coverage can be obtained only after the NFIP has approved the application and has established the risk premium rate.
Substantial Damage--Damage of any origin sustained by a building whereby the cost of restoring the building to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the building before the damage occured.
Substantial Improvement--Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a building, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the building before the "start of construction" of the improvement. Substantial improvement includes buildings that have incurred "substantial damage," regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either any project for improvement of a building to correct existing state or local code violations or any alteration to a "historic building," provided that the alteration will not preclude the building's continued designation as a "historic building."
Suspension--Removal of a participating community from the NFIP because the community has not enacted and/or enforced the proper floodplain management regulations required for participation in the NFIP.
2 to 4 Family Residence--A residential building (excluding hotels and motels with normal room rentals for less than 6 months' duration) containing no more than 4 dwelling units. Incidental occupancies such as office, professional, private school, or studio space are permitted if the total area of such occupancy is limited to less han 25 percent of the total floor area within the building.
Variance--A grant of relief by a participating community from the terms of its floodplain management regulations.
Walled and Roofed--A building having in place two or more exterior rigid walls and the roof fully secured so that the building will resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement.
Write Your Own (WYO) Program--A cooperative undertaking of the insurance industry and the Federal Insurance Administration begun in October 1983. The WYO Program operates within the context of the NFIP and involves private insurance carriers who issue and service National Flood Insurance Program policies.
Zone--A geographical area shown on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map or a Flood Insurance Rate Map that reflects the severity or type of flooding in the area.