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DHS FEMA NFIP Services - eWaterwark Article
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Finding Your Base
NFIP regulations require the publication of Base Flood Elevation (BFE) notices for every map
revision and flood study that includes proposed or modified BFEs. The notices must be published
twice in the affected community's newspaper of record and once in the Federal Register. The
statutory 90-day appeal period, which allows interested stakeholders to comment on proposed or
modified BFEs, begins on the day the notice is published for the second time in the local newspaper.
Currently, newspaper notices describe the proposed changes and list effective and modified BFEs for
each community. Because these notices can be lengthy (often two letter-size pages or more, depending
on the number of flooding sources affected), FEMA pays a significant amount of money each year to
publish the notices in local newspapers and the Federal Register. To make BFE notices more cost
effective and available to a broader stakeholder audience, FEMA has begun publishing them on its
Flood Hazard Mapping website, significantly reducing the cost associated with newspaper publications.
What is a BFE-on-the-Web?
Under FEMA's new BFEs-on-the-Web initiative, a short, standard legal notice will be published in
the local newspaper to direct interested citizens to the location on FEMA's website where the proposed
BFE changes are shown.
All mapping partners, including Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contractors and
Cooperating Technical Partners (CTPs), that are tasked with performing post-preliminary activities
must use the BFEs-on-the-Web tool to create BFE notices for studies and Letters of Map Revision
(LOMRs) that result in new or modified BFEs. Publishing BFEs on the Web has required only minor
modifications of the customary publication process. The greatest benefit is realized when
traditional BFE notices that formerly appeared in newspapers are replaced by short standard notices
directing readers to the FEMA's website and Map Assistance Center for the entire notice, including
the lists of BFE changes. FEMA's Map Assistance Center can be reached toll free at 877-FEMA MAP
(877-336-2627).
What Is the Publication Process?
Initially, BFE notices have been made available through the existing
Status of Map
Change Requests webpage and the newly created
BFE Notices page
on FEMA's Flood Hazard Mapping website. Subsequently, BFE notices will be integrated into FEMA's
Mapping Information Platform (MIP) study status reporting functionality.
When BFEs are published on the web and in the Federal Register, both effective and modified BFEs
must be listed and referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) if the modified
BFEs have been determined in NAVD88. Therefore, if there is a datum change, and the effective FIRM
is referenced to the National Vertical Datum of 1929, the BFEs must be converted to NAVD88 so the
community will be able identify the true BFE change.
An additional requirement has been added to the BFE notice that includes the collection of latitude
and longitude coordinates that coincide with the description of the downstream and upstream BFE
change. These coordinates must specify the center of the stream at the BFE change referenced and must
be defined in degrees, minutes, and seconds (DDD MM SS.SSS). The requirement to incorporate these
coordinates into the BFEs-on-the-Web tool became effective beginning with studies for which the appeal
period started on or after April 1, 2007.
With publication of BFE information on the Internet, NFIP stakeholders will be able to access
information about their community faster, while reducing costs for all taxpayers.
What Does the New Newspaper Notice Look Like?
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Proposed Base Flood Elevation Determination for [NAME OF COMMUNITY, COUNTY, AND STATE]. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency solicits technical information or comments on the proposed
Base (1-percent-annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) shown in the Preliminary Flood Insurance
Study (FIS) and on the Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for your community. These
proposed BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that your community is required
to either adopt or show evidence of having in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for
participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). For a list of the
proposed BFEs and information on the statutory period provided for appeals, visit
FEMA's website (www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/bfe) or call the FEMA Map Assistance Center
toll free at 877-FEMA MAP (877-336-2627).
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| Last Modified:
Friday, 21 January 2011 |
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