G-1 October 1998
GLOSSARY
The definitions below include those used within the four phases of this
handbook, as well as subject matter related words and terms you might hear
and see. These definitions are applicable within the context of this handbook
and its overall subject matter.
base flood
Flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any
given year.
base flood elevation (BFE)
Elevation for which there is a one percent chance in any given year that
flood levels will equal or exceed it. BFE is determined by statistical
analysis of stream-flow records for the watershed, and rainfall and runoff
characteristics in the general region of the watershed.
benefits
Future losses and damages prevented by a project.
benefit cost analysis (BCA)
FEMAís assessment of project data to determine whether or not the cost of
the project is justified by its benefits.
benefit cost ratio (BCR)
Result of the BCA. The BCR is determined by dividing the projectís
benefits by its costs. A BCR equal to or greater than 1.0 indicates that a
project is cost-effective. A BCR lower than 1.0 indicates the project is
not cost-effective.
buyout
Commonly used synonym for property acquisition.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Official of the community who is charged with the authority to implement
and administer laws, ordinances, and regulations for that community.
Glossary
G-2 October 1998
community
Any area or political subdivision of a State, Indian tribe or authorized
tribal organization, or Alaska Native village or authorized native organization
which has authority to adopt and enforce floodplain management
regulations for the areas within its jurisdiction.
Community Rating System (CRS)
A system whereby NFIP-participating communities are rated according
to their floodplain management and hazard mitigation practices. CRS
rewards a communityís mitigation efforts by offering property owners
discounts on flood insurance premiums based on the communityís rating.
Contact your State Hazard Mitigation Officer for more information.
duplication of benefits (DOB)
FEMAís policy is to prevent the duplication of benefits among its own
programs (to include NFIP), and among its own programs and other
sources of funds (e.g., other disaster assistance and insurance) for the
same purpose. Therefore, FEMA considers such assistance to be advances
towards the purchase price of a property, and deducts those
amounts from the price paid to the property owner. However, FEMA
will not deduct benefits for which the property owner can provide
receipts showing that the money has been used for its intended purpose
(e.g., repairs to a home).
fair market value (FMV)
The price a property would bring in a competitive and open market.
For the purposes of property acquisition, FMV is the value a willing
buyer would have paid and a willing seller would have sold a property
for had the disaster not occurred.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The federal agency charged with building and supporting the nationís
emergency management system. FEMA is involved in all stages of the
disaster life cycle, including response, recovery, mitigation, risk reduction,
prevention, and preparedness.
first floor elevation (FFE)
Elevation of the top of the lowest finished floor of a structure.
Glossary
G-3 October 1998
Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM)
Official map of a community where the boundaries of flood-related
erosion areas having special hazards have been designated as zones A,
M, and/or E.
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
Official map of a community delineating both the special hazard areas
and the risk-premium zones applicable to that community.
Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program
Pre-disaster grant program to provide funding for implementing measures
to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to structures
insurable under the NFIP.
floodplain or flood-prone area
Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source.
floodplain management
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.
floodplain management regulations
Zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes, health
regulations, special-purpose ordinances (such as floodplain, grading, and
erosion control ordinances), and other state or local regulations that
provide standards of flood damage prevention and reduction.
floodproofing
Any combination of structural and non-structural additions, changes, or
adjustments to structures that reduce or eliminate flood damages to the
structures and their contents.
floodway
Portion of the floodplain that is effective in carrying flow and where the
flood hazard is generally highest.
Glossary
G-4 October 1998
freeboard
Factor of safety usually expressed in feet above a flood level for purposes
of floodplain management. Freeboard tends to compensate for
the many unknown factors that could contribute to flood heights greater
than the height calculated for selected size flood and floodway conditions,
such as wave action, bridge openings, and the hydrological effect
of urbanization in the watershed.
grant
Award of financial assistance.
grantee
Government entity to which FEMA awards a grant, and which is accountable
for the use of funds awarded. Under the HMGP, the State is
the grantee.
hazard mitigation
Any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to life and
property from natural disasters.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
Post-disaster grant program to provide funding for applicable hazard
mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of natural
disasters.
historic structure
Any structure:
q Listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic
Places.
q Determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the
historical significance of a registered or qualifying historic district.
q Listed on a state inventory of historic places in states that have historic
preservation programs approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
Glossary
G-5 October 1998
q Listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities that
have historic preservation programs that have been certified either by
the state or the Secretary of the Interior.
Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC)
A claim under a standard flood insurance policy. When a structure
covered by a standard flood insurance policy under the NFIP sustains a
flood loss and is declared to be substantially or repetitively damaged, ICC
helps pay the property owner for the cost of mitigation measures, including
demolition and relocation, up to $15,000. ICC claims apply to
structures only. FEMA 301, Increased Cost of Compliance Coverage,
provides information for local floodplain management officials on how
flood-damaged buildings insured under the National Flood Insurance
Program will benefit from this coverage.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
Program authorized by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to
provide flood insurance protection to property owners in flood-prone
areas.
NFIP-eligible or -participating community
Community for which the sale of flood insurance under the NFIP has
been authorized.
regulatory floodway
Channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that
must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively
increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated
height.
repetitive loss
A structure that has sustained flood damage on more than one occasion
has sustained repetitive loss.
riverine
Relating to, formed by, or resembling a river (to include tributaries),
streams, brook, etc.
Glossary
G-6 October 1998
State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO)
Representative of State Government who is the primary point of contact
with FEMA, other Federal agencies, and local units of government in the
planning and implementation of mitigation programs and activities
required under the Stafford Act (including FMA and HMGP activities).
special flood hazard area
The land in the floodplain within a community subject to a one-percent
or greater chance of flooding in any given year. It might be designated as
Zone A on the FHBM.
structure
A walled and roofed building, including a storage tank for gas or liquid,
that is principally above ground.
substantial damage
Damage sustained by a structure during a disaster whereby the cost of
restoring the structure to its pre-disaster state would equal or exceed 50
percent of its pre-disaster market value. FEMA 311, Guidance on Estimating
Substantial Damage, provides detailed information to State and local
floodplain management officials on how to calculate substantial damage
in accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program regulations,
(FEMA 311 also includes software that performs necessary calculations).
substantial improvement
Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a
structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market
value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement.
sub-grant
Award of financial assistance under a grant by a grantee.
sub-grantee
Government or other legal entity to which a sub-grant is awarded and
which is accountable to the grantee for the use of funds awarded. Under
the HMGP, the community is the sub-grantee.