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<br />The National Flood Insurance Program and Building in the Roodplain <br />. <br />How high willi have to elevate? Or <br />flood proof? <br /> <br />What is the National Flood <br />Insurance Program? <br /> <br />The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a federal program <br />enabling propeny owners to purchase flood insurance. It is based on <br />an agreement between your community and the federal government <br />The agreement states that if your community adopts and enforces <br />floodplain management regulations which at least meet minimum federal <br />requirements, the federal government will make flood insurance <br />available in your community. <br /> <br />How do I know if I'm in the floodplain? <br /> <br />Tbe floodplain is identified as "Special Flood Hazard Areas" in your <br />community's Flood Insurance Study and the accompanying Flood <br />Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) published by FEMA. The flood level shown <br />for these Special Flood Hazard Areas has a 1 % chance of being equalled <br />or exceeded in anyone year. That translates into a 26% chance of <br />flooding over a lj1>icaJ 30-year mortgage period as compared to a 1 % <br />chance of fire damage over the same period. The building permit officials <br />in your community have these documents available for you to see. <br /> <br />What is substantial damage? <br /> <br />Suhstantial damage is damage of any origin to a structure where the <br />cost of restoring the strucUlre to its before damage condition would <br />equal or exceed fifty percent (50%) percent of its pre-disaster value. <br /> <br />When does it affect me? <br /> <br />The NFlP requires participating communities to regulate by building <br />permits any new or substantially improved structures during <br />non-disaster periods and to monitor and identify any substantially <br />damaged structures as a result of a disaster within the community's <br />floodplain areas. Participating communities adopt an ordinance that <br />requires new buildings to be elevated above the projected flood level <br />within the identified floodplain. Non-residential buildings have the <br />additional option of heing dry flood proofed. Existing huildings that are <br />substantially damaged or improved (50% or more) must be elevated <br />or floodproofed to meet the same construction code standard as a new <br />building. When you apply for a local building permit, you will be <br />infonned as to whether or not you are in a flood plain and what further <br />steps are required to repair or reconstruct your building if you are <br />within this defined area.1f your building was flooded but not substantially <br />damaged there is a wide range of inexpensive measures described in <br />this booklet that can help you reduce future flood damage. <br /> <br />Protecting tOllr Home from Flood Damage, Re-.ised 1996, 2nd Edition. <br />hderaJ Emer>!l'nC\" Man:J..gcmcnt ..\l!enC\ <br /> <br />The elevation or floodproofing requirement is based upon the elevatio" <br />of the base flood indicated in the flood insurance stud\' of \'Our <br />community. This elevation mayor may not be comparable to the lao;;, <br />major flood, Just because you may have had ten (10) feet of flooding as <br />a result of the last flood does not necessarily mean that you will need to <br />elevate or floodproof to that height Your community's building permit <br />officer can assist you in determining the elevation applicable to vour <br />strucb.1re. <br /> <br />Why go through all this trouble? <br /> <br />First, as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance <br />Program (NFIP), your community is required 10 enforce its flood plain <br />regulations. Second, structures located in the floodplain which are not <br />elevated or floodproofed are a threat to the health and safety of the <br />occupants. Third, structures that do not take into consideration the <br />flood risks, will repeatedly need to be bailed out be the governmem <br />(either through the NFIP or various disaster assistance programs) . <br />flooding reoccurs, <br /> <br />What happens if I refuse to comply? <br /> <br />If you do not obtain a permit and do not elevate or floodproof, then <br />your community could take legal action against you. This could include <br />stopping the development, revoking the pennit, imposing a fine, or <br />with holding a certificate of occupancy. If the structure is in violation <br />of the regulations, flood insurance premiums could be extremely cosu\', <br />possible making the structure difficult to sell, Also, your communi"; <br />could jeopardize its continued participation in the NFIP. <br /> <br />What if I have more questions? <br /> <br />Your building perrmit and floodplain management officials are <br />responsible for implementing the requirements of the local floodplain <br />management ordinance, including the substantial damage provisions. <br />Following a disaster declaration, the requirements pertaining to <br />substantial damage will be presented to your community officials in <br />detail at meetings held in various locations in the state, FEMA will work <br />with building officials to help identify structures which may qualify as <br />substantially damaged. In addition, FEMA wIll provide techtA <br />assistance to local building officials concerning the repai"'" <br />reconstruction of substantially damaged structures. <br /> <br />2 <br />