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<br />Guide For Approximate Zone A Areas <br /> <br />NFIP Background <br /> <br />were converted to the Regular Program without a Flood <br />Insurance study. Consequently, these communities were <br />converted using FIRMs in which all of the special flood hazard <br />areas were designated as approximate Zone A, without BFEs. <br /> <br />Although over 10,000 communities have now been provided <br />detailed Flood Insurance Studies and issued FIRMs that include <br />BFEs, many floodplains are still designated as approximate <br />Zone A without BFEs. Due to the costs of developing detailed <br />risk data, areas not subject to development pressure are <br />studied using approximate methodologies and continue to be <br />shown on the FIRM as approximate Zone A areas. FEMA only <br />provides BFEs for the floodplains of those flooding sources <br />that are currently subject to development pressure or are <br />projected at the initiation of a Flood Insurance Study or <br />Flood Insurance study restudy to be subject to development <br />pressure during the immediate future. Generally, a planning <br />period of approximately five years is used. Even in these <br />cases, BFEs are provided on a priority basis due to funding <br />constraints. The community plays a major part in the <br />determination of the level of detail required in the study of <br />selected streams. As a result, most communities will have <br />FIRMs that include special flood hazard areas for flooding <br />sources that have been studied in detail with BFEs and special <br />flood hazard areas for flooding sources that have been studied <br />using approximate methods, and have been designated as <br />approximate Zone A. <br /> <br />II-4 <br /> <br />1 <br />