Welcome

Welcome to the How to Use a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) course.

We are pleased to present this guide to the Flood Insurance Study (FIS). This course will describe the various information found in the FIS and explain how to use it. The sections are explained in detail for you to fully understand the information in the FIS. Using the information in the FIS in conjunction with the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) will enable you to determine the flood hazard for a property and allow you to take actions that may prevent flood damage and insure against losses caused by floods.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires that FIS flood profiles be used to determine an accurate Base Flood Elevation (BFE) in a riverine are with a detailed study. This course will show how to obtain an accurate BFE to the nearest tenth of a foot using the Flood profiles in the FIS. This is important information for floodplain management and flood insurance purposes and is one of the main uses of the FIS in the NFIP.

NOTE: This course presents the FIS sections in the order that they appear in most studies in the nation. The FIS format is updated and improved over time. If your community has a newer study, the same data will likely appear but the order in which the information is presented may have changed.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course you will be able to:

  • Identify information contained in a Flood Insurance Study (FIS)
  • Explain what the information in a FIS means
  • Describe how to use the information in the FIS

NOTE: If you have any problems with links in this course, please select the help button at the top of screen.

Course Overview and Navigation Objectives

This is an overview of the course and an introduction to various course features and functionality.

At the end of this course overview and navigation introduction, you should be able to describe the:

  • Course structure
  • Screen features and navigation
  • Knowledge Check functionality
  • Course credit requirements
Course Structure

Take a moment to review the Lesson List located on the right side of your screen.

This course has seven (7) lessons. The lessons may be accessed sequentially or independently. The time to complete each lesson varies. A page tracker is displayed at the bottom middle of the screen to help you gauge your movement through the lesson. The estimated time required to complete each lesson will be stated on the lesson’s first screen.

After completing the course, take the Final Exam to:

  • Gauge your knowledge of the topic
  • Receive credit for taking the course

This course includes a glossary of terms used in this course. When you select the glossary link, the glossary will open in a new window.

NOTE: If you have any problems with links in this course, please select the help button at the top of screen.

Screen Features
Navigating Using Your Keyboard

Below are instructions for navigating through the course using your keyboard.

  • Use the "Tab" key to move forward through each screen's navigation buttons and hyperlinks, or "Shift" + "Tab" to move backwards. A box surrounds the button that is currently selected.
  • Press "Enter" to select a navigation button or hyperlink.
  • Radio ButtonsUse the arrow keys to select answers for multiple-choice review questions or self-assessment checklists. Then tab to the "Check" button and press "Enter" to complete a Knowledge Review or Self-Assessment.
  • Warning: Repeatedly pressing "Tab" beyond the number of selections on the screen may cause the keyboard to lock up. Use "Ctrl" + "Tab" to deselect an element or reset to the beginning of a screen’s navigation links (most often needed for screens with animations or media).
  • Job Access With Speech (JAWS) assistive technology users can press the "Ctrl" key to quiet the screen reader while the course audio plays.
Completing Knowledge Checks

At times during a lesson, there will be a Knowledge Check activity to review one of the concepts from the lesson. Instructions will appear at the top of the screen explaining how to complete the activity.

After you select the Check button, feedback on your answer selection will appear in a dialog box. To close the dialog box window, select the close link at the bottom of the window.

Try the sample Knowledge Check question below.

Viewing Slideshow Simulations (Slideshow)

Slideshows are used in this course.

If you see a "Scroll down to see slideshow captions" message, the presence of a slideshow will be indicated by a shaded box with navigation buttons and a slide counter above it (see example below).

Select the slideshow's Next button (the gray right-facing arrowhead) to begin the presentation.

Some slideshow may have audio narration and/or captions that will explain the data entry procedure. Select the link to hear the audio narration. A media player window will appear when audio narration is activated.

Slideshow control bar with next button highlighted.
To navigate through the slideshow, select the Back to the Beginning, Back, Next, and End of Presentation buttons. Select the Next button to move to the following slide.
Navigation buttons for slideshows, with a count showing slide 1 of 3. Next is highlighted.
The Slide Counter indicates the total number of slides in the presentation and which slide you are currently viewing. Keep in mind that the presentation is on a loop and will repeat.
Web screen navigation bar page number with next button to the right.
To exit the Slideshow, select the Next button at the bottom of the course screen.
Receiving Credit
Students must complete the entire course and pass the final exam to receive credit for the course. Each lesson takes a variable amount of time to complete. If you are unable to complete the course in its entirety, you may close the window and reopen the course at any time. However, depending on the system used to take the course, it is possible you may have to repeat a portion of the last lesson you were studying.
Course Overview and Navigation Summary

This completes the Course Overview and Navigation. You learned:

  • What this course is about
  • How to complete this course
  • How to receive credit for this independent study course

Select the next lesson from the main menu.

NOTE: If you have any problems with links in this course, please select the help button at the top of screen.