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<br />Guide For Approximate Zone A Areas <br /> <br />Obtaining BFEs <br /> <br />IV. OBTAINING EXISTING BASE (100- YEAR) FLOOD ELEVATIONS <br /> <br />The NFIP Regulations at 44 CFR 60.3 require that structures be <br />elevated or floodproofed (non-residential structures only) to <br />provide protection from flood damage. A BFE must be <br />established before such flood protection measures can be used. <br />There are a variety of computational methods that can be <br />employed to determine BFEs. However, these methods can be <br />costly. Before computational methods are used, every attempt <br />should be made to obtain information, in the form of <br />floodplain studies or computations, from Federal, state, or <br />local agencies. Data obtained from these agencies may be <br />adequate to determine BFEs with little or no additional <br />research, computation, or cost. <br /> <br />Local officials who obtain BFE data should maintain the <br />information for future reference. Local officials should also <br />consider making a search for BFE data for the entire <br />community. By doing so, the local officials may not have to <br />conduct a search each time a floodplain development permit is <br />requested. If the data reasonably reflect flooding <br />conditions, a community should consider adopting the <br />information into its floodplain management ordinance. <br /> <br />I <br />f <br />I <br />r <br />~ <br /> <br />Provided below are a list of agencies that can be contacted to <br />determine if any BFE data have already been developed. When <br />obtained, these data should be evaluated to ensure that they <br />reasonably reflect floOding conditions expected at the site <br />during the lDO-year flood, are scientifically or technically <br />correct, and represent the best data available. <br /> <br />Three major sources of existing data are highlighted in this <br />section: FEMA, other Federal agencies, and state and local <br />agencies. <br /> <br />FEMA <br /> <br />I <br />, <br /> <br />FEMA's technical evaluation contractors maintain libraries <br />that contain technical and administrative data developed <br />during the preparation of Flood Insurance Studies, as well as <br />the resulting Flood Insurance study reports and NFIP maps. <br />FEMA can be contacted to determine whether or not sufficient <br />information exists in the back-up data to calculate BFEs. For <br />some flooding sources that are designated as approximate Zone <br />A, FEMA may have detailed flooding information that has not <br />yet been incorporated into the community's Flood Insurance <br />Study. FEMA can be contacted to obtain this information where <br />it exists. <br /> <br />IV-l <br />