Some Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) do not have BFEs shown on the flood maps. These SFHAs are shown as Zone A or Zone V and were determined by less than detailed study methods.

Possible sources for obtaining a BFE in these areas may be the community’s Floodplain Administrator, planning, public works, engineering, environmental or transportation departments; the local district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; or the State NFIP Coordinating Office, Environmental, Natural Resources, or Transportation Departments. Also, a registered professional engineer could conduct an engineering analysis to determine the BFE at the site.

Additional information regarding BFEs in these areas is available in the FEMA publication Managing Floodplain Development in Approximate Zone A areas, available at: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_approx-zone-a-guide.pdf.