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Finding Your BaseNFIP regulations require the publication of Base Flood Elevation (BFE) notices for every map revision and flood study that includes proposed or modified BFEs. The notices must be published twice in the affected community's newspaper of record and once in the Federal Register. The statutory 90-day appeal period, which allows interested stakeholders to comment on proposed or modified BFEs, begins on the day the notice is published for the second time in the local newspaper.Currently, newspaper notices describe the proposed changes and list effective and modified BFEs for each community. Because these notices can be lengthy (often two letter-size pages or more, depending on the number of flooding sources affected), FEMA pays a significant amount of money each year to publish the notices in local newspapers and the Federal Register. To make BFE notices more cost effective and available to a broader stakeholder audience, FEMA has begun publishing them on its Flood Hazard Mapping website, significantly reducing the cost associated with newspaper publications. What is a BFE-on-the-Web? Under FEMA's new BFEs-on-the-Web initiative, a short, standard legal notice will be published in the local newspaper to direct interested citizens to the location on FEMA's website where the proposed BFE changes are shown. All mapping partners, including Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contractors and Cooperating Technical Partners (CTPs), that are tasked with performing post-preliminary activities must use the BFEs-on-the-Web tool to create BFE notices for studies and Letters of Map Revision (LOMRs) that result in new or modified BFEs. Publishing BFEs on the Web has required only minor modifications of the customary publication process. The greatest benefit is realized when traditional BFE notices that formerly appeared in newspapers are replaced by short standard notices directing readers to the FEMA's website and Map Assistance Center for the entire notice, including the lists of BFE changes. FEMA's Map Assistance Center can be reached toll free at 877-FEMA MAP (877-336-2627). What Is the Publication Process? Initially, BFE notices have been made available through the existing Status of Map Change Requests webpage and the newly created BFE Notices page on FEMA's Flood Hazard Mapping website. Subsequently, BFE notices will be integrated into FEMA's Mapping Information Platform (MIP) study status reporting functionality. When BFEs are published on the web and in the Federal Register, both effective and modified BFEs must be listed and referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) if the modified BFEs have been determined in NAVD88. Therefore, if there is a datum change, and the effective FIRM is referenced to the National Vertical Datum of 1929, the BFEs must be converted to NAVD88 so the community will be able identify the true BFE change. An additional requirement has been added to the BFE notice that includes the collection of latitude and longitude coordinates that coincide with the description of the downstream and upstream BFE change. These coordinates must specify the center of the stream at the BFE change referenced and must be defined in degrees, minutes, and seconds (DDD MM SS.SSS). The requirement to incorporate these coordinates into the BFEs-on-the-Web tool became effective beginning with studies for which the appeal period started on or after April 1, 2007. With publication of BFE information on the Internet, NFIP stakeholders will be able to access information about their community faster, while reducing costs for all taxpayers. What Does the New Newspaper Notice Look Like? FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Proposed Base Flood Elevation Determination for [NAME OF COMMUNITY, COUNTY, AND STATE]. The Federal Emergency Management Agency solicits technical information or comments on the proposed Base (1-percent-annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) shown in the Preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and on the Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for your community. These proposed BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that your community is required to either adopt or show evidence of having in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). For a list of the proposed BFEs and information on the statutory period provided for appeals, visit FEMA's website (www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/bfe) or call the FEMA Map Assistance Center toll free at 877-FEMA MAP (877-336-2627). |
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Last updated on September 1, 2007
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