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Chapter 4 Map Revisions To provide a sound basis for floodplain management and insurance rating, NFIP maps must present flood risk information that is correct and up to date. Because flood risk information is subject to change, FEMA has developed the map revision process, under which communities may request that effective FHBMs, FIRMs, and FBFMs be revised to incorporate new or corrected flooding information. Background The information depicted on effective NFIP maps may be revised by a physical revision of the map or by a LOMR. A physical map revision involves revising and republishing the individual map panels affected by the requested changes. When NFIP maps are revised by a LOMR, the changes made to the maps are described in the LOMR; revised map panels are not printed. (However, when revisions cannot be adequately described in writing, marked-up photocopies of the affected map panels may be provided with the LOM R.( Because of the costs involved in printing new map panels, FEMA generally publishes revised maps only when it is necessary to show changes involving a large area of land or increased flood risks. Changes that involve increased flood risks include adding new SFHAs and/or floodways, enlarging existing SFHAs and/or floodways, shifting existing SFHAs and/or floodways to areas not previously within the SFHAs and/or floodways, and raising BFEs. To make other types of map changes, FEMA usually issues LOMRs. LOMRs may be used for revisions that decrease the size of SFHAs and/or floodways but cannot be used for revisions that shift existing SFHAs and/or floodways to areas not previously within the SFHAs or floodways, even when the size of the SFHA is generally being decreased. LOMRs are especially well suited to changes that involve only small areas within a community, particularly those involving individual structures and parcels of land. When warranted, FEMA will issue LOMRs to remove from SFHAs individual structures elevated on fill and individual, legally defined parcels of land elevated by the placement of fill. FEMA will also issue LOMRs to remove from regulatory floodways individual structures and parcels of land that were inadvertently included in the floodways (i.e., structures or parcels for which no fill was placed after the effective date of the first NFIP map that showed the structure or parcel to be within the SFHA) provided that community concurrence is obtained. Although changes may be made to any of the information shown on an effective NFIP map, FEMA generally will not revise an effective map unless the changes involve 100-year flooding information. Requests for changes that involve other information (e.g., roads, road names, community boundaries) will usually be kept on file; if a physical revision becomes necessary as a result of a request for changes to flooding information, all requests on file will be addressed at that time. How to Request a Map Revision At any time after an NFIP map has become effective, a community or private party may request that the map be revised. Also, as noted in Chapter 1 of this Guide, Section 6S.3 of the NFIP regulations requires that each participating community inform FEMA of any physical changes that affect BFEs in the community and submit data that show the effects of those changes withi n 6 months of the date the changes occur. Because the CEO of the community is responsible for ensuring that the community meets its obligations as a participant in the NFIP, either the CEO or a community official designated by the CEO, such as a floodplain administrator, city planner or city engineer, must be aware of all requests for map revisions. Therefore, any individual property owner, developer, or other private party who wishes to 19