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Procedure & Guidelines
Flood Insurance Program
The Federal National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 allows persons in flood plain areas of a community to purchase flood insurance at reduced rates. In order for such rates to be available within a community, the community must make provision for regulating development and land uses in accordance with applicable Federal requirements. The purpose and intent of this chapter is to identify special hazard areas in the City of Concord which are prone to flooding and to impose requirements on development and uses within such areas in accordance with applicable Federal requirements.
Definitions of Terms
- Base Flood
- Flood Boundary & Floodway Map
- Flood Insurance Rate Map
- Flood Insurance Study
- Floodplain or Flood prone Areas
- Floodproof or Floodproofing
- Floodway
- Floodway Encroachment Lines
- Floodway Fringe
- Highest Adjacent Grade
- Lowest Floor
- Special Flood Hazard Area
- Watercourse
Base Flood - a flood which has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (also called the "100-year flood")
Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (PDF) - official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Administration has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the floodway
Flood Insurance Rate Map (PDF) - official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Federal Insurance Administration has delineated both the areas of special flood hazards and the risk premium zones applicable to the community
Flood Insurance Study (PDF) - official report provided by the Federal Insurance Administration that includes:
- Flood Boundary and Floodway Map
- Flood Insurance Rate Map
- Flood Profiles
- Water Surface Elevation of the Base Flood
Floodplain or Flood prone Areas - any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source
Floodproof or Floodproofing - any combination of:
- Structural and nonstructural additions
- Changes or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property
- Water and sanitary facilities, structures, and their contents
Floodway - the channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than one foot. Also referred to as "regulatory floodway"
Floodway Encroachment Lines - the lines marking the limits of floodways on federal, state and local floodplain maps
Floodway Fringe - area of the floodplain on either side of the "regulatory floodway" where encroachment may be permitted
Highest Adjacent Grade - the highest natural elevation of the ground surface prior to construction next to the proposed walls of structure
Lowest Floor - the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area, including basement.
An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage in an area other than a basement area is not considered a building's lowest floor, provided that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable non-elevation design requirements.
Note
This definition allows attached garages to be built at grade. Below-grade garages are not allowed as they are considered to be basements.
Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) - an area having special flood, mudslide (i.e. mudflow), or flood-related erosion hazards, and shown on a Flood Boundary and Floodway Map or a Flood Insurance Rate Map as zones:
- A
- AO
- A1-A30
- AE
- A99
- AH
- E
- M
- V1-V30
- VE
- V
Watercourse - a topographic feature on or over which waters flow at least periodically, such as a:
- Arroyo
- Channel
- Creek
- Lake
- River
- Stream
- Wash
Watercourse includes specifically designated areas in which substantial flood damage may occur.