Floodplain Mapping Terminology

• BFE - Base Flood Elevation: The elevation shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map for zones AE, AH, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/A1-A30, AR/AH, AR/AO, and VE that indicates the water surface elevation resulting from a flood that has a 1% chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given year.
• DFIRM - Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map: Database that contains all information needed to produce FIRM maps.
• Effective Map: The Effective Map is the National Flood Insurance Program map issued by FEMA that is in effect as of the date shown in the title block of the map as "Effective Date," "Revised," or "Map Revised." The Effective Date is the date on which the National Flood Insurance Program Map for a community becomes effective and all sanctions of the National Flood Insurance Program apply.
• FIRM - Flood Insurance Rate Map: Official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special flood hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community. To learn how to read a flood map visit: http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/ot_firmr.shtm
• FIS - Flood Insurance Study: An examination, evaluation, and determination of the flood hazards, and if appropriate, the corresponding water surface elevations. To learn how to read a FIS visit: http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/ot_fisr.shtm
• MHIP - Multi-Year Hazard Identification Plan: Planned five-year cost and schedule for nationwide flood studies at a county level. Reports up-to-date progress and program direction.
• MOD Team - Mapping on Demand: Team to assist FEMA (Headquarters and Regions) in achieving the goals of the Map Modernization Program.
• NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program: The Federal regulatory program under which flood prone areas are identified and flood insurance is made available to residents of participating communities.
• Preliminary Map: When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) releases Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report for a county, caution must be exercised in using this data. For insurance purposes, Preliminary FIRMs and FIS reports CANNOT be used (i.e., to make official flood determinations). The current, effective FEMA printed FIRM is the only official document for this purpose. For regulatory purposes, Preliminary FIRMs and FIS reports may be used by the community. Local regulations usually allow for the use of best available data, and in some instances, the data provided on the Preliminary FIRMs is much better than older data on the existing FIRMS. The use of preliminary maps as best available data is only allowable when the preliminary data is more conservative than the effective data. Please contact your community's floodplain administrator to determine whether preliminary data is being used.
• SFHA - Special Flood Hazard Area: Any area inundated by the base (1% annual chance) flood; these areas are identified on the FIRM as Zones A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, and VE.
• Underway: The term "underway" in the context of floodplain mapping indicates that a contractor has been selected for map modernization.