DO I OR DON’T I PURCHASE FLOOD INSURANCE:

Have you or a neighbor had problems in the past with flood water in the house? In a ‘questionable flood area’, we recommend keeping some level of flood insurance coverage even if the structure is released from the flood insurance requirement. Regular household insurance may not cover flood damage.

FLOOD INSURANCE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

BFE – Base Flood Elevation The 100-year flood level as defined by FEMA. No fill or changes in elevation are allowed within the flood zone unless the property permits have been issued by FEMA. Buildings can be placed within the flood zone as long as constructed with proper flood venting and proper construction permits. FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency FIRM – Flood Insurance Rate Map d-FIRM Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map Maps can be viewed at the ‘FEMA.GOV’ website. It shows the areas considered to be within the 100 year flood zone. Banks and mortgage companies use this to determine the requirement for flood insurance. FLOOD ELEVATION CERTIFICATE Certifies to the elevation of the house and property immediately adjoining the structure. Elevation certificates are required prior to and after construction of new structures within a flood zone depicted on the maps of record. Elevation Certificates will not remove your structure from flood insurance requirements, but helps the insurance company determine the actual rate based on the possibility of flooding. FLOOD WAY- Designated area within a flood zone providing for the flow of water within the stream during normal flood conditions. Absolutely no structures are allowed within the flood way as depicted on the flood maps. FLOOD ZONES - Geographic areas defined by FEMA showing varying levels of flood risk. A community’s FIRM or Flood Hazard Boundary Map details these flood risk zones. The severity or type of flooding is indicated for each zone. LOMA – Letter of Map Amendment: If you are a homeowner and believe your property is not located in the designated 100-year floodplain [also known as a 1-percent-annual-chance floodplain, or Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)], as shown on the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map or Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map for your community and you would like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make an official determination regarding the location of your property relative to the SFHA, you may request a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F). e-LOMA – Electronically filed Letter of Map Amendment: This is a web based tool used by Professional Land Surveyors to apply for a LOMA. This can be used to remove a structure (house) or the entire property only. LOMA’s consisting of a portion of the property only must use the LOMA procedure. SFHA - Special Flood Hazard Area