LAR 512 – Fall 2002

 

PROBLEM #19 – READING FEMA FLOOD MAPS

 

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Review and study the following FEMA FIRM Tutorial Website http://www.fema.gov/mit/tsd/ot_firm.htm and then answer these questions:

 

  1. What does the term FIRM mean?  ______________________________________
  2. Does a 100-year flood occur once every 100 years?  _______________________
  3. What is a FBFM and in the past how has it differed from a FIRM?  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  4. How many panels make up a community?  _______________
  5. What is a base flood elevation?  And, what flood is used for the BFE?  ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  6. What is a floodplain boundary?  ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  7. What is a floodway boundary? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  8. Using a FBFM or a new version FIRM, you can read a BFE using all but which of the following?  ___________
    1. Flood profiles of the BFE,
    2. Plan view of cross section locations,
    3. Flood elevation tables, and
    4. Zone A approximate special flood hazard area.

 

  1. What is a LOMA?  ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Now, review and study http://www.fema.gov/mit/tsd/ot_fis.htm and then answer the following questions:

 

  1. Draw a cross sectional diagram showing the relationships of the following:
    1. 100-year floodplain,
    2. Floodway,
    3. Floodway fringe,
    4. Stream channel,
    5. Allowed surcharge, and
    6. Allowed encroachment.

 

  1. What is the federally allowed amount of surcharge?  ____________________
  2. Do all local governments allow encroachments of fill in the floodway fringe? __ Why?  ___________________________________________________________

 

Now, review and study http://www.fema.gov/mit/tsd/ot_q2tut.htm and then answer the following questions:

 

  1. In order to accurately reflect the base flood elevation in the study cross sections should be located along and perpendicular to a stream channel at all of the following except:  __________
    1. Confluence of a stream where the flows significantly increase,
    2. Location of sink holes where the flows go underground,
    3. Location of bridges or other restrictions,
    4. Location of topographic restrictions, and
    5. Location lacking topographic restrictions.

 

  1. Explain how a positive backwater occurs and what it means upstream?  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________