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What's New Archive

What's New Archive 2008
What's New Archive 2007
What's New Archive 2006
What's New Archive 2005

What's New Archive 2008

July 2008
Revised Draft Version of Data Capture Standards (DCS) Available for Review
FEMA has developed a revised draft version of the DCS that are included in the Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners as Appendix N. The revised document is available for public review and comment through September 30, 2008. A Web forum is being used to allow interested parties to post questions and comments. A summary of common questions and answers will also be published periodically on the DCS Public Review Summary page. For information on accessing the Web forum, the revised DCS document, and implementation guidance, please go to the DCS Public Review Summary.

June 2008
Policy for the Use of Digital Flood Hazard Data
The FEMA Mitigation Directorate is implementing a new policy for the use of digital flood hazard data developed for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The purpose of the policy is to clarify the NFIP approach to the implementation of Section 107 of the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 (42 USC 4101).

FEMA's goal is to reduce the reliance on paper products. The policy is structured to allow the continued use of paper maps for those who prefer this method. However, for NFIP stakeholders interested in using the new digital processes and products, this policy will enable them to take full advantage of the new digital maps FEMA is producing through its Map Mod effort. FEMA wishes to transition to digital processes for distributing and reading the flood maps. These new digital capabilities of the flood maps will:
- Enable significant advantages in capability, precision, and cost;
- Reduce costs associated with paper map production, handling and storage;
- Encourage the use of quality local data to make administration of the NFIP more efficient and effective.
For more information, please read the Policy and Fact Sheet located in the FEMA Library. For additional information, contact Paul Huang at paul.huang@dhs.gov.

Updated Map Change Application Forms Now Available
The following application forms have been updated and are now available in the FEMA Library.
- MT-EZ Form (Application Form for Single Residential Lot or Structure Amendments to National Flood Insurance Program Maps). This form is used to request that FEMA remove the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)Â designation from a single structure or a legally recorded parcel of land or portions thereof, described by metes and bounds certified by a Registered Professional Engineer or Licensed Land Surveyor, by issuing a Letter of Map Amendment. The SFHA is the area, shown on an NFIP map, that will be inundated by the flood having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (also known as the base, or 100-year, flood). The mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements of the NFIP apply to insurable structures in the SFHA. The MT-EZ application form and instructions can be downloaded from the FEMA Library.
- MT-1 Forms Package (Application Forms for Conditional and Final Letters of Map Amendment and Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill). The forms in this package were designed to assist requesters (community officials, individual property owners, and others) in gathering the information that FEMA needs to determine whether property (i.e., structure(s), parcel(s) of land) is likely to be flooded during the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event.
  
  The forms and instructions in this package are to be used to request multiple-lot/multiple-structure Letters of Map Amendment (LOMAs), Conditional Letters of Map Amendment (CLOMAs), Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-Fs), and Conditional Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill (CLOMR-Fs). The forms in this package may be used for property that has been inadvertently included in a V zone or the regulatory floodway. However, if the property is to be removed from a V zone, it must not be located seaward of the landward toe of the primary frontal dune. The MT-1 application forms and instructions can be downloaded from the FEMA Library.
- MT-2 Forms Package (Application Forms for Conditional Letters of Map Revision and Letters of Map Revision). The forms and instructions included in this package were designed to assist requesters (community officials or individuals via community officials) in gathering the data that the FEMA needs to determine whether the effective NFIP map and Flood Insurance Study report for a community should be revised. These forms also should be used by community officials or individuals via community officials for requesting FEMA comments on a proposed project, which are issued in the form of a Conditional Letter of Map Revision. These forms will provide FEMA with assurance that all pertinent data relating to the revision are included in the submittal. They also will ensure that: (a) the data and methodology are based on current conditions; (b) qualified professionals have assembled the data and performed all necessary computations; and (c) all individuals and organizations affected by proposed changes are aware of the changes and will have an opportunity to comment on them. The MT-2 application forms and instructions can be downloaded from the FEMA Library.

May 2008
Mapping Requirements for Levee Construction and Restoration Projects Now Available
When communities, State agencies, and Federal agencies undertake construction and restoration projects to provide a 1-percent-annual-chance level of flood protection, they likely will want to submit the appropriate data and documentation to FEMA, so that FEMA may present updated, accurate flood hazard and risk information on the affected NFIP maps and related documents. The required data and documentation will vary, depending on the type of determination that the community would like FEMA to make regarding the project and the flood insurance risk zone designation that the community would like FEMA to include on the effective map for that community. Therefore, it is important for communities to know the requirements, responsibilities, and impacts that these options will have on community residents and business owners.

The FEMA requirements for construction and restoration projects are presented in Sections 61.12 and 65.14 of the NFIP regulations, in Appendix H of Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners, and in Procedure Memorandums. To clarify the requirements and explain responsibilities and impacts, FEMA has developed some additional guidance, including Web pages, Fact Sheets, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The Fact Sheets and FAQs are available from the FEMA Library and are accessible through the Zone A99 and Zone AR Web pages.
MHIP Version 3.0 Is Now Available
FEMA has released the latest version of the Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP). Version 3.0 details the FEMA plan for prioritizing and delivering modernized flood maps for areas of the United States with the greatest flood risk. MHIP Version 3.0 amends MHIP Version 2.0, dated September 2006, and MHIP Version 2.5, dated April 2007. MHIP Version 3.0 provides the following:
- Detailed tables of flood map production targets;
- Stakeholder input information;
- Summary of FEMA's progress in meeting the Key Performance Indicators for Map Mod; and
- Appendices that provide a detailed listing by State and county for all map production activities, scheduled and completed.
MHIP Version 3.0, as well as previous versions, is available through the Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan pages on the Flood Hazard Mapping Website. Interested parties with questions pertaining to the updated flood map production sequencing in MHIP Version 3.0 are encouraged to contact the appropriate local and State officials, who are working with one of the 10 FEMA Regional Offices.
Revised Guidance on Levee Notation Now Available
Levee systems have been identified in over one-quarter of the counties for which modernized FIRMs—Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs)—are being prepared. Therefore, FEMA has been working, and continues to work with Federal, State, and local professionals and technical partners to determine the flood protection and risk-reduction capabilities of the Nation's levee systems and to accurately reflect the flood hazard and risk in "levee-impacted" areas on the DFIRMs.

Although FEMA is not responsible for constructing, maintaining, operating, or certifying levee systems FEMA does develop and enforce the regulatory and procedural requirements that are used to determine whether a levee system should be credited with providing 1-percent-annual-chance flood protection on an NFIP map. Recently, FEMA reviewed its existing guidance regarding the mapping of levee-impacted areas and determined that some guidance was needed to provide clarity and minimize confusion regarding the levee notes that are to appear on NFIP map panels on which accredited levee systems and Provisionally Accredited Levee systems appear. FEMA issued the guidance on May 12, 2008, in the form of Procedure Memorandum No. 45 (PM 45), Revisions to Accredited Levee and Provisionally Accredited Levee Notations. PM 45 and a Fact Sheet developed to explain the new requirements are available from the FEMA Library.

What's New Archive 2007

September 2007
Draft Concept Paper
The Draft Concept Paper "FEMA's Flood Map Modernization-Preparing for FY09 and Beyond: Integrated Flood Data Update, Risk Assessment, and Mitigation Planning" is being provided so that stakeholders who utilize and are impacted by FEMA flood hazard data and maps can provide input. Comments are welcome by e-mail on the Draft Concept Paper. Comments submitted by November 15, 2007, will be considered in FEMA's planning efforts for FY09 and beyond. Because FEMA's planning efforts are in their initial stages, specific replies to comments received will not be provided. However, comments provided on these concepts will be fully considered as FEMA plans for flood mapping efforts progress.

"FEMA's Flood Map Modernization-Preparing for FY09 and Beyond: Integrated Flood Data Update, Risk Assessment, and Mitigation Planning; Draft Concept Paper; June 1, 2007" is available on FEMA's Flood Hazard Mapping Website at:
www.fema.gov/plan/ffmm.shtm.
August 2007
Map Modernization Management Support (MMMS)
The purpose of the MMMS program is to provide, through a Cooperative Agreement, a means to ensure that MMMS partners can support the Map Modernization effort through activities that do not directly result in production of a new or revised flood hazard map. These support activities include administration and management activities. Through these Web pages, users can access guidance, business plans, and other key MMMS information.
July 2007
Flood Map Modernization Video
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed a new Flood Map Modernization video (Map Mod). The video made its debut at the Association of State Floodplain Managers Annual Conference in Norfolk, Virginia, on June 6, 2007. The video is available on the Internet from the FEMA Library in the Windows Media Video and Apple QuickTime formats. The video is approximately 8.5 minutes long; includes a narrative of the past, present, and future of the mapping component of the National Flood Insurance Program; and provides valuable information and resources.
February 2007
FY 2007 Guidance for Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) and Map Modernization Management Support (MMMS) Programs
The purpose of the Fiscal Year 2007 Guidance Document is to assist FEMA staff and MMMS Partners in preparing, developing, and managing MMMS and FY 2007 Guidance for Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) and Map Modernization Management Support (MMMS) Programs Now Available February 2007 CTP Program activities. This document is organized to assist the MMMS and CTP Program partners and FEMA staff in administration, funded activities, eligibility and evaluation criteria, scoring criteria, reporting requirements, technical capabilities, contracting requirements, standards, certification, funding, and Cooperative Agreement management.

What's New Archive 2006

December 2006
Document Control Procedures Manual
In September 2006, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued an updated version of the FEMA Document Control Procedures Manual. The Manual is used by FEMA, mapping partners, and contractor staff as guidance for the processing of standard and non-standard documents used in processing FEMA-contracted studies/restudies, community-initiated map revisions, conditional and final map revisions based on conditions other than fill, conditional and final map revisions based on fill, conditional and final map amendments, Letters of Determination Review, and special conversions. The Manual also provides procedures and sample documents for use in tracking community compliance and documenting communities' entry into the NFIP. In December 2006, FEMA issued a revised version of Procedure Memorandum No.13 to implement the use of the September 2006 version of the Manual.
September 2006
Levee Guidance and Informational Documents
Identifying the flood risk behind levees is an important part of FEMA's Flood Map Modernization (Map Mod) effort. Levees are present in more than one-fourth of the counties to be mapped or remapped as part of the Map Mod effort. Therefore, FEMA works with Federal, State, local, professional, and technical partners to determine the flood protection capabilities of levees and to map the risk of flooding behind levees. FEMA encourages owners of property behind levees to understand their flood risk, obtain flood insurance, and adhere to local evacuation procedures. Guidance and informational documents are available for the following stakeholder groups:
Provisionally Accredited Levee Guidance
FEMA issued Procedure Memorandum No. 43, Guidelines for Identifying Provisionally Accredited Levees, on September 25, 2006. Procedure Memorandum No. 43 and associated guidelines document provide FEMA, mapping partners, and contractor staff with guidance for showing flood hazard and risk information for areas behind levees on Flood Insurance Rate Maps and clarifies procedures and timelines for the submittal of levee documentation to comply with Section 65.10 of the National Flood Insurance Program regulations.

Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP), Version 2.0
The MHIP describes the strategy, schedule, and budget developed by FEMA for producing flood hazard data and maps to administer the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is a living document that is updated annually through a collaborative process to engage stakeholders.

Letter of Final Determination (LFD)
A LFD is a letter sent to a community stating that a new or updated Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) will become effective in 6 months and each participating; flood prone community must adopt a new or updated compliant floodplain management ordinance by that effective date. The LFD list is a consolidated list of all LFDs distributed to communities for a specific FIRM effective date and is available online. It is prepared biweekly on predetermined LFD dates, 6 months prior to the FIRM effective date.

June 2006
Draft Floodplain Boundary Audit Procedures Available for Comments Online
The Draft Floodplain Boundary Audit Procedures document provides an overview of the audit process, outlines the process for selecting projects for audits, explains how to determine risk classes, provides an overview of data compilation needed for audits, describes the audit procedures, and presents reporting requirements for audit results. The comment period for these procedures ended on August 15, 2006.
March 2006
The Flood Map Modernization Mid-Course Adjustment
The Flood Map Modernization Mid-Course Adjustment outlines in detail the purpose of the National Flood Insurance Program, status of the Flood Map Modernization initiative, benefits of Flood Map Modernization and the Mid-Course Adjustment.

What's New Archive 2005

October 2005
Final Draft Guidelines for Coastal Flood Hazard Analysis and Mapping
The Final Draft Guidelines for Coastal Flood Hazard Analysis and Mapping for the Pacific Coast of the United States, prepared November 2004, and Section D.4.5 was revised January 2005, are now available online for download. In addition, the Phase 1 Summary Report, prepared February 2005 is also available for download.
- Final Draft Guidelines for Coastal Flood Hazard Analysis and Mapping for the Pacific Coast of the United States
- Phase 1 Summary Report
Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Guidance Document FY2005. The CTP Guidance Document provides programmatic requirements and procedures, as well as providing FEMA regional points of contact. View more information on the CTP Program Guidance Document for Fiscal Year 2005.

August 2005
Final Data Capture Standards and Final Data Capture Guidelines
The Data Capture Standards and associated Data Capture Guidelines define the content and format of the engineering data deliverables that result from the flood insurance study process.

The final Data Capture Standards and the Final Data Capture Guidelines can be downloaded from the FEMA Web site at Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners.
June 2005
Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP), Draft FY05-FY09, Version 1.5
The MHIP describes FEMA's strategy for updating flood maps used for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) purposes. It builds on the recommendations of the Technical Mapping Advisory Council, as well as FEMA's objectives for Map Modernization. View More Information on the MHIP.
Moore County, NC Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations
On June 17, 2005, FEMA issued a preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Moore County, North Carolina and incorporated areas for public review. View More Information on the Moore County, NC Map Change.

May 2005
Town of Hanover, MA Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations
On May 24, 2005, FEMA issued a preliminary FIS report and FIRM for the Town of Hanover, Massachusetts for public review. View More Information on the Town of Hanover, MA Map Change.

Alamance County, NC Proposed Flood Elevation Determination
On May 19, 2005, FEMA issued a preliminary FIS report and FIRM for Alamance County, North Carolina and incorporated areas for public review. View More Information on the Alamance County, NC Map Change.

Durham County, NC Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations
On May 5, 2005, FEMA issued a preliminary FIS report and FIRM for Durham County, North Carolina and incorporated areas for public review. View More Information on the Durham County, NC Map Change.

Orange County, NC Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations
On April 28, 2005, FEMA issued a preliminary FIS report and FIRM for Orange County, North Carolina and incorporated areas for public review. View More Information on the Orange County, NC Map Change.

Wake County, NC Preliminary FIS and FIRM
On April 6, 2005, FEMA issued a preliminary FIS report and FIRM for Wake County, North Carolina and incorporated areas for public review. View More Information on the Wake County, NC LOMR.
February 2005
Sacramento, CA LOMR
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has restored levees along the American River in the City and County of Sacramento, California. On February 18, 2005, FEMA issued a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) that revised the floodplain in the City and County of Sacramento. View more information on the Sacramento, CA LOMR.

Last Modified: Thursday, 22-Oct-2009 09:21:17 EDT