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Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) Exam Types of floodplains - ANSWER Riverine, coastal, and shallow Watershed - ANSWER area that drains into a lake, stream, or body of water. Also called basin or catchment area. Channel - ANSWER Ground features that carry water through and out of a watershed Riverine Flooding - ANSWER flooding that occurs along a channel Flash flooding - ANSWER flooding that occurs in hilly and mountainous areas that may come scant minutes after a heavy rainfall. One can also occur in urban areas where pavements and drainage improvements speed runoff to a stream. Overbank Flooding - ANSWER The most common type flooding in the US. It occurs when downstream channels receive more rain or snowmelt than normal, or a channel is blocked by ice or debris. Excess water overloads the channels and flows out onto the floodplain Velocity - ANSWER One measure of a flood is the speed of moving water. Measured in feet per second Thalweg - ANSWER The channel bottom Meander - ANSWER a curve in the channel. The outside bank of the meander is subject to erosion, the inside bank is subject to deposits Accrete - ANSWER to build up a shoreline by depositing sand, either by nature or human actions Actual Cash Value - ANSWER The replacement cost for a building, minus a depreciation percentage based on age and condition. Alluvial Fan - ANSWER An area at the base of a valley where the slope flattens out, allowing the floodwater to decrease in speed and spread out, dropping sediment and rock over a fan-shaped area. Amendment - ANSWER A change to a FEMA floodplain map that removes an area that was inadvertently included in the Special Flood Hazard Area Approximate studies - ANSWER Flood hazard mapping done using approximate study methods that show the approximate outline of the base floodplain. An approximate study does not produce a base flood elevation.
Base Flood Depth - ANSWER A measurement of the base flood in feet above ground, used for shallow flooding Basement - ANSWER Any area of the building having its flood subgrade (below ground level) on all sides Base floodplain - ANSWER the area of water and land inundated by the base flood Basin - ANSWER Also known as a Watershed, an area that drains into a lake, stream or other body of water. Bathymetry - ANSWER The measurement of depths of water in the ocean or lakes Bench marks - ANSWER Monuments on the ground that show the elevation of the spot above sea level. Also called Elevation Reference Marks. Building - ANSWER A walled and roofed structure including a gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground as well as a manufactured home. Also known as structure Building Condition Survey - ANSWER A windshield survey conducted to obtain a preliminary evaluation of the extent and severity of damage to buildings after a disaster CAP - ANSWER Community Assistance Program Cfs - ANSWER cubic feet per second, the unit by which discharges are measured (A cubic foot of water is about 7.5 gallons) CLOMA - ANSWER Conditional Letter of Map Amendment CLOMR - ANSWER Conditional Letter Of Map Revision Closed Basin Lake - ANSWER A lake that has either no outlet or relatively small one, where rainfall or groundwater can cause the lake's level to ride faster than it can drain Coastal high hazard area - ANSWER the part of the coastal floodplain extending from offshore to the inland limit of the primary coastal dune along an open coast and any other area subject to high velocity wave action from storms and seismic sources. Wave heights during the base flood will generally be three feet or more in height above the stillwater elevation CBRA - ANSWER The coastal barrier resources Act which identified undeveloped portions of coastal barriers
Discharge - ANSWER The amount of water that passes a point in a given period of time. Rate of discharge is usually measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) DSR - ANSWER Damage survey report Emergency Operations Center (EOC) - ANSWER A facility that houses communications equipment that is used to coordinate the response to a disaster or emergency Eminent Domain - ANSWER Governmental power to acquire a property without the owner's consent Enabling Legislation - ANSWER State laws that authorize communities to perform governmental activities, such as enacting and enforcing regulations Encroachment Review - ANSWER An analysis to determine if a project will increase flood heights or cause increased flooding downstream EO 11988 - ANSWER Executive Order 11988 Floodplain Management. A directive by the President that sets procedures Federal agencies must follow before they take or fund an action in the floodplain FBFM - ANSWER Flood Boundary Floodway Map. An official map of a community, on which FEMA has delineated the regulatory floodway. Recent FISs show the floodway on the FIRM and do not include an FBFM FEMA - ANSWER Federal Emergency Management Agency., Most of the NFIP field work and community coordination are done by the 10 FEMA Regional Offices FHBM - ANSWER Flood Hazard Boundary Map. An official map of a community published by FEMA that delineates the approximate boundary of the floodplain. An FHBM is generally the initial map provided the community and is eventually superceded by a FIRM Federal Insurance Administration (FIA) - ANSWER was the part of FEMA that administered the NFIP. This is now the responsibility of FEMAs Mitigation Division Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) - ANSWER An official map of a community, on which FEMA has delineated both the SFHAs and the risk premium zones applicable to the community Flood - ANSWER A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas
Flood Fringe - ANSWER The portion of the floodplain lying outside the floodway Flood Hazard Mitigation - ANSWER All actions that can be taken to reduce property damage and the threat to life and public health from flooding Flood Insurance Study - ANSWER A report published by FEMA for a community issued along with the community's FIRM. The study contains such background data as the base flood discharges and water surface elevations that were used to prepare the FIRM Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) - ANSWER A grant program that supports plans and projects for mitigating losses to insured buildings funded by the NFIP. Flood Record - ANSWER The highest known flood level for the area, as recorded in historical documents Floodplain - ANSWER Any land area susceptible to being inundated by flood waters from any source Floodproofing - ANSWER Protective measures added to or incorporated in a building that is not elevated above the base flood elevation to prevent or minimize flood damage. "Dry Floodproofing" measures are designed to keep water from entering a building. "Wet Floodproofing" measures minimized damage to a structure and its contents from water that is allowed into a building Floodway - ANSWER The cahnnel of a river or other watercourse and that portion of the adjacent floodplain that must remain open to permit passage of the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height (usually 1 foot) Freeboard - ANSWER A margin of safety added added to the base flood elevation to account for waves, debris, miscalculations, or lack of data Functionally Dependent Use - ANSWER A use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it is carried out in close proximity to water. The term includes only docking facilities, port facilities that are necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo, and ship building and ship repair facilities Geographic Information System - ANSWER Computer based map systems that allow the user to keep a map updated easily and correlate geographic information with other data, such as tax records on properties
Inverse Condemnation - ANSWER Also known as "Taking". Obtaining private property with or without compensating the owner. The term also includes reducing the value of private property to such an extent that the owner is deprived of all economic interest ISO - ANSWER The Insurance Services Office Inc an insurance organization that provides support to FEMA on implementation of the CRS Lateral Pressure - ANSWER The amount of pressure imposed sideways by standing water. Deeper water exerts more lateral pressure than shallower water Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) - ANSWER An official revision to a FEMA map done by describing the property affected. LOMAs are generally issued when properties have been inadvertently included in the floodplain Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) - ANSWER An official revision to a FEMA map done by describing the property affected Limited Map Maintenance Project - ANSWER A small-scale restudy of a FIS Lowest Floor - ANSWER The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement) of a building Manufactured Home - ANSWER A building that is transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when attached to the required utilities. It includes mobile home and "double wides" Market Value - ANSWER The price a willing buyer and seller agree upon Mitigation Division - ANSWER The FEMA office that sets national policy for the NFIP and administers the mapping program Movable Bed Streams - ANSWER A type of flooding that features uncertain flow paths Mudslide - ANSWER Also known as Mudflow. A condition where there is a river, flow, or inundation of liquid mud down a hillside Multi-Objective Management (M-O-M) - ANSWER An approach to planning and funding local programs that involves a variety of local interests and concerns
NEPA - ANSWER The National Environmental Policy Act, a federal law that requires agencies to evaluate the environmental impact of a proposed project NGVD - ANSWER National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, the national datum used by the NFIP. NGVD is based on mean sea level. It was known formerly as the "Mean Sea Level Datum of 1929 (MSL)" No-Rise Certification - ANSWER a certification by an engineer that a project will not cause a set increase in flood heights Non-Structural Flood Protection Measures - ANSWER Administrative tools for controlling flooding and flood damage, including regulations on development, building codes, property acquisition and structure relocation, and modification of existing buildings Ordinance - ANSWER Te generic term for a law passed by local government Planned Unit Development (PUD) - ANSWER A regulatory approach that allows a developer to design the entire area while individual requirements may be relaxed to allow for open space, mixed land uses, and other variances to traditional zoning rules Ponding - ANSWER Runoff that collects in depressions and cannot drain out, creating a temporary pond Post-FIRM Building - ANSWER For insurance rating purposes, a _______ building was constructed or substantially improved on or after December 31, 1974 or after the effective date of the initial FIRM of a community, whichever is later. For a community that participated in the NFIP when its initial FIRM was issued, ________ buildings are the same as new construction and must meet the NFIPs minimum floodplain management standards Pre-FIRM Building - ANSWER For insurance rating purposes, a ______ building was constructed or substantially improved on or before December 31, 1974 or before the effective date of the initial FIRM of the community, whichever is later. Most ________ buildings were constructed without taking the flood hazard into account Probability - ANSWER A statistical term having to do with the size of a flood and the odds of that size of flood occurring in any year. Profile - ANSWER A graph that shows elevations of various flood events
Stafford Act - ANSWER The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 as amended which authorizes FEMA's current disaster assistance programs and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 made extensive changes to the Stafford Act Stationing - ANSWER Determining the distance along a stream Statutory authority - ANSWER The powers granted to a local government by state law Stillwater flood elevations - ANSWER show the elevations of various coastal floods, not counting waves Storm surge - ANSWER Water that is pushed toward shore by persistent high wind and changes in air pressure. This can result from hurricanes and other coastal storms Stormwater management - ANSWER Efforts to reduce the impact of increased runoff that results from new development Stormwater detention - ANSWER Storing stormwater runoff for release at a restricted rate after the storm subsides Stormwater retention - ANSWER Storing stormwater runoff for later use in irrigation or groundwater recharge, or to reduce pollution Structural flood control - ANSWER Measures that control floodwaters by construction of barriers or storage areas or by modifying or redirecting channels. Submit to rate - ANSWER a process used when an insurance agent cannot complete the rate calculation for a flood insurance policy. The application is sent to the WYO Company or FEMA to be individually rated Substantial damage - ANSWER : Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of re- storing the structure to its before damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred Substantial improvement - ANSWER Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvement to a structure, the total cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. The definition of "substantial improvement" includes buildings that have incurred "substantial damage" regardless of the actual repair work performed
Transect - ANSWER a survey of topographic conditions used in coastal flood studies Tsunami - ANSWER A large wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcano which can raise water levels as much as 15 feet Variance - ANSWER A grant of relief by a community from the terms of a land use, zoning or building code regulation Wave runup - ANSWER occurs when waves hit the shore and water is moving with such force that it keeps traveling inland Wet floodproof - ANSWER Protecting a building from flood damage by using flood-resistant materials below the flood level and elevating things subject to flood damage above the flood level Write Your Own (WYO) - ANSWER An insurance company that has agreed to sell flood insurance policies on behalf of the NFIP Zone A - ANSWER The Special Flood Hazard Area (except coastal V Zones) shown on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map. SFHA where no base flood elevation is provided Zone A1-30 - ANSWER Numbered A Zones (e.g., A7 or A14), SFHA where the FIRM shows a base flood elevation in relation to NGVD Zone AE - ANSWER SFHA where base flood elevations are provided. AE Zone delineations are now used on new FIRMs instead of A# Zones (100 year flood evernt or 1% Annual Chance Flood Hazard) Zone AO - ANSWER SFHA with sheet flow, ponding, or shallow flooding. Base flood depths (feet above grade) are provided Zone AH - ANSWER Shallow flooding SFHA. Base flood elevations in relation to NGVD are provided. Zone B - ANSWER Area of moderate flood hazard, usually depicted on Flood Insurance Rate Maps as between the limits of the base and 500-year floods. B Zones are also used to designate base floodplains of little hazard, such as those with average depths of less than 1 foot Zone C - ANSWER Area of minimal flood hazard, usually depicted on Flood Insurance Rate Maps as above the 500-year flood level. B and C Zones may have flooding that does not meet the criteria to be mapped as a Special Flood Hazard Area, especially ponding and local drainage problems
