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Backflow Valves: Also known as check valves or flaps; allow water to flow in one direction but automatically close when the direction of the flow is reversed.
Base Flood Elevation (BFE): The elevation shown on the FIRM for Zones AE, AH, A1-A30, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/A1-A30, AR/AH, AR/AO, V1-V30, and VE that indicates the water surface elevation resulting from a flood that has a 1-percent chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given year.
Building Code: Set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for structures; building codes protect public health, safety, and general welfare as they relate to construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.
Building Officials: Jurisdictional supervisors of construction and building codes, permits, inspection requirements and zoning ordinances.
Centers for Disease Control: U.S. federal agency that works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health decisions.
Closed-Basin Flood: Occurs when a lake has no outlet, or a relatively small outlet and, storm systems cause the lake level to rise faster than it can empty.
Coastal Flood: Occurs when intense offshore storm systems push ocean water inland above the normal tide level
Defensible Space: An area around a building in which vegetation, debris, and other types of combustible fuels have been treated, cleared, or reduced to slow the spread of fire to and from the building.
Dry Floodproofing: Protecting a building and its contents from flood damage by sealing the structure to prevent flood waters from entering.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Agency charged with protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
Evacuation: The organized, phased, and supervised withdrawal dispersal, or removal of civilians from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas, and their reception and care in safe areas.
Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. (FLASH): Non-profit organization dedicated to promoting disaster safety and property loss mitigation by strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. Their website is located at www.Flash.org
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Organization under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security whose mission is to support citizens and first responders to ensure that, as a nation, citizens work together to build, sustain and improve capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Their website is located at www.fema.gov
FEMA’s Mitigation Grant Program: Program to assist communities in reducing flood hazard risk through acquisition, relocation, and/or elevation.
Flash Flood: The rapid flooding of low-lying areas. Flash flooding is usually caused by intense rainfall and can flood an area in less than six hours. Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water that carries rocks, mud, and other debris that can sweep away most things in its path.
Floating Floor Drain Plug: Plug that prevents flood waters from backing up the drain pipe and into the structure.
Flood: A general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow.
Flood Control Barrier: barricade that deflects the destructive forces of flood waters away from vulnerable structures and populated areas.
Floodplain Management Ordinance: Regulation used to ensure that participating communities take into account flood hazards, to the extent that they are known, in all official actions relating to land management and use.
Floodproofing: Mitigation measures that decrease the risk of flood damage
Ground Anchors: Part of a system, along with straps or ties, used to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement of structures. Most manufactured homes use this type of anchorage. Ground anchors are designed to move slightly when loads are applied to them. Much of their resistance to loads is derived through movement.
Hazard: Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.
Hazard Mitigation (HM) Community Education and Outreach (CEO): FEMA entity that prescribes publications that support the Hazard Mitigation strategy at each disaster. HM CEO promotes effective hazard mitigation ideas and techniques through community education, outreach, training and coordination with public and private sectors.
Hazard Mitigation Disaster Workforce Website: Website containing many resources and technical information for Hazard Mitigation staff. Specifically, a list of flood-related publications can be found on the website.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP): Provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. The purpose of the HMGP is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster. The HMGP is authorized under section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
Increased Cost of Compliance: Coverage for expenses a property owner must incur above and beyond the cost to repair the physical damage the structure actually sustained from a flooding event, to comply with mitigation requirements of state or local floodplain management ordinances or laws.
JFO Insurance Hotline: Hotline staffed by HM Insurance Specialists who answer questions and help NFIP policyholders resolve issues with their insurance companies.
Local Building Officials: Jurisdictional authority of building and construction codes, permits, facilities management, and accepted construction procedures.
Major Disaster: Any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under this Act to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.
Mitigation: The capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters.
Mold: Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores. Mold carries a musty or earthy odor, and exposure may cause or aggravate asthma or respiratory problems.
National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB): Organization representing the building industry for members and affiliated State and local builders’ organizations. Their website is located at www.nahb.org. The site includes recommended mitigation strategies for most types of natural hazards.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP): Federally backed flood insurance designed to help those affected by floods accelerate recovery, mitigate future flood losses, and reduce the personal and national costs of flooding in communities that participate in the NFIP.
NFIP Claims Handbook: FEMA handbook describing for policyholders what to do before, during, and after a flood, filing and appealing flood insurance claims are covered.
NFIP Summary of Coverage: FEMA guidance on deductibles, what is and is not covered by flood insurance, and how items are valued at times of loss.
Permit: Formal approval of building plans by a designated government agency as meeting the requirements of prescribed codes.
Property Acquisition: Community purchased property that cannot be redeveloped and often is used as public open areas, parks, or recreation areas.
Recovery: The capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively.
Repair: The return of infrastructure damaged by a major disaster to a safe and sanitary living or functioning condition. Specifically refers to returning infrastructure to a habitable condition.
Response: The capabilities necessary to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs after an incident has occurred.
Risk: The estimated impact a hazard would have on people, services, facilities and structures in a community.
River and Stream Flood: Triggered by heavy rains, melting snows, and storm surge. Can also occur when a dam breaks.
Structure Elevation: Raising a flood-prone structure so that the lowest floor is at or above the base flood elevation and meets the minimum ordinance standards required by the NFIP.
Structure Relocation: The removal of a structure to a safer place outside of the Special Flood Hazard Area.
Substantial Damage: Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its pre-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. All structures that are determined to be substantially damaged are automatically considered to be substantial improvements, regardless of the actual repair work performed.
Substantial Improvement: Improvement that costs equal to or greater than half of the market value of a structure before the improvement. Land value not included.
Weatherproof Membrane: Heavy plastic sheeting placed along a wall’s exterior surface.
Wet Floodproofing: Any measure applied to a structure and/or its contents that prevents or provides resistance to damage from flooding while allowing flood waters to enter the structure.
Zoning Ordinances Written regulations and laws that define how property in specific geographic zones can be used.
