Floodplain Management is a valuable tool to assess and reduce flood risk.
Floodplain Management is the process of identifying flood risks at the community levels as well as the practice of local community officials regulating proper building and development standards.
Definitions
Floodplain Management, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is "a decision-making process that aims to achieve the wise use of the nation's floodplains. 'Wise use' means both reduced flood losses and protection of the natural resources and function of floodplains."
NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program.
FEMA - The Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security. The 10 Regional Offices of FEMA do most of the NFIP fieldwork and community coordination.
CRS - Community Rating System.
FIRM - Flood Insurance Rate Map; published by FEMA and provided to communities.
SFHA - Special Flood Hazard Area; the floodplain delineated on the FIRM as A Zones and V Zones.
There are three main types of floodplain maps:
- Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) - A very generalized map usually issued to a community when they first join the NFIP. FHBMs does not include Base Flood Elevations (BFEs). Only a handful of communities still possess these basic flood maps.
- Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) - Most communities have a FIRM. They generally include BFEs and show flood zones and are based on a detailed study of flood potential in the community. With the FIRM, flood elevations at any specific development site within a community can usually be determined. More recently published FIRMs include both BFEs and regulatory floodways.
- Flood Boundary and Floodway Map - These maps delineate floodways but do not give BFEs or flood zones. A community must use its FIRM to identify BFEs. Newer FIRMs eliminate the dual maps; all information, including flood-ways, is on the newer FIRMs.
