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<br />The building code should establish flood protection standards for all constmction. <br />These should include criteria to ensure that the foundation will withstand flood forces <br />and that all portions of the building subject to damage are above, or otherwise <br />protected from, flooding. <br /> <br />Some Colorado communities have adopted the Building Officials and Code <br />Administrators' (BOCA) National Building Code. The 1997 edition sets standards for <br />protecting foundations against flood damage, including requirements for soil testing and <br />prepared fill. It should be noted that one of the goals for flood hazard mitigation is the <br />promotion and adoption of model codes and standards (such as the UBC and IBC). <br /> <br />Most communities with a flood problem in Colorado participate in the National Flood <br />Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP sets minimum requirements for participating <br />communities' subdivision regulations and building codes. Communities are encouraged <br />to adopt local ordinances, which are more stringent than the state or federal criteria. <br />This is especially important in areas with older maps that may not reflect the current <br />hazard. These could include prohibiting damage-prone uses (such as garages, sheds, <br />parking lots and roadways) from the flood way or requiring stmctures to be elevated <br />one or more feet above the base flood elevation. <br /> <br />As with any regulatory program, property owners may not be aware of the need for <br />permits, or may resist getting permits, especially after a flood. Because many existing <br />floodplain maps are out of date, caution should be exercised when utilizing them for <br />regulations. Conservative safety factors are highly recommended. Some of the <br />requirements, such as floodway constmction criteria or substantial improvement mles, <br />can be technically complicated. However, assistance is available from FEMA, CWCB <br />and OEM. <br /> <br />D. State Funding Capabilities for Flood Hazard Mitigation Projects <br /> <br />The state funding sources and capabilities for flood hazard nutIgation projects were <br />presented in previous sections of this document. The funding programs are summarized <br />below: <br /> <br />Department of Local Affairs (DOLA): <br />Community Development Block Grants <br />Unmet Needs Program <br /> <br />40 <br />