FLOOD11755

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners - Volume 1: Flood Studies and Mapping
• Date: 4/1/2003
• Prepared By: FEMA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners [April 2003]

Volume 1

Flood Studies and Mapping

This Volume presents an overview of the Flood Map Project production process and describes
each of the production phases in detail, including Mapping Needs Assessment, Project Scoping,
Topographic and Flood Hazard Data Development/Report and Map Production, and
PreliminarylPost- Preliminary Processing.

1.1 Overview of Flood Map Project Process [February 2002]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has specific mandates within the
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as amended, to identify flood hazards nationwide and
publish and update flood hazard information in support of the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP). FEMA is required to consult with local officials in identifying floodprone areas, and
specific procedures are described in the Act for establishing proposed flood elevations.

The NFIP regulations (found at Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 59-77) were
developed as the program evolved. They codify the requirements of the 1968 Act and identify
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and 72 of the NFIP regulations refer to specific procedures to be followed in flood hazard
mapping activities.

To fulfill its mandate to identify floodprone areas, FEMA has an ongoing program to (1) develop
new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for floodprone communities without maps and (2) to
produce updated FIRMs for communities with maps. This Volume details the processes,
guidelines, and specifications by which FEMA develops and updates FIRMs and collateral Flood
Insurance Study (FIS) reports.

Activities for developing a new FIRM and/or updating an existing FIRM (both actions will be
referred to hereinafter as "Flood Map Projects") are completed in four phases:

1. Mapping Needs Assessment;

2. Project Scoping;

3. Topographic and Flood Hazard Data Development/Report and Map Production; and

4. PreliminarylPost-Preliminary Processing.

Figure 1-1 depicts the phases of the process, which is applicable to all Flood Map Projects,
including those that involve the following:

Developing new or updated flood hazard data;

1-3

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