Cadastral Consulting, LLC

         Quality Continuing Education for the Surveying, Land Use, and Design Professional

RECENT NEWS

Watch Congressional action in 2011 for a new revision to the National Flood Insurance Program that may restore a Technical Mapping Advisory Council to FEMA. The many legislative proposals as of the summer of 2011 also address a wide variety of other special interests, so it is hard to predict which (if any) will succeed.

FEMA's contact center for the Map Service Center (MSC) has been consolidated with the FEMA Map Assistance Center (FMAC). The phone number for MSC is 1–877–FEMA MAP  (1–877–336–2627). To reflect the consolidation of the contact centers the name of the expanded FEMA Map Assistance Center is now the FEMA Map Information eXchange, or FMIX.

Note that FEMA no longer issues paper maps (effective October 1, 2009) beyond a single set to participating NFIP communities. All map users must now be familiar with FEMA's on–line Map Service Center for ordering and viewing digital mapping data.

The National Research Council has released its report (prepared by a committee on which Wendy Lathrop served) entitled “Mapping the Zone: Improving Flood Map Accuracy”. An executive summary of the report is available here as a 2.2 MB PDF. More information and full copies of the report are available through the National Research Council website.

• Floodplain Managment News and Links
• FEMA's Bulletin 467–1 Guidance for Elevation Certificates
• FEMA's Technical Bulletins
• Training and Seminars in Floodplain Management

In mid–May 2008, FEMA issued new forms for map change applications. Click below for links to the new forms.
MT–EZ form for Letters of Map Amendments
MT–1 form for conditional and final Letters of Map Amendment and Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill
MT–2 form for Conditional and final Letters of Map Revision

FEMA has recently redesigned its website. For the links most frequently used by surveyors, engineers, and architects (including forms and documents), the new site can be accessed here.

FEMA's Map Service Center now provides historical flood maps as well as the most current versions. Letters of Map Change are available through the same pages as the currently effective maps, listed by community. Flood Insurance Study rerports, where available, are accessed through the home page tab for “Product Catalog”, along with DFIRM databases and Community Status books.

FEMA offers an on–line NFIP newsletter entitled “Watermark”. For articles and to subscribe for email alerts when new articles are uploaded click here.

FEMA offers On Line Tutorials on a variety of technical and regulatory topics.

FEMA's NFIP Policy Index provides a wealth of background information in its on–line definitions of words and phrases relating to floodplain management. Within each definition are references to NFIP requirements and regulations, as well as links to other resources.

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FEMA's Bulletin 467–1 Guidance for Elevation Certificates

Although written in 2004 to assist in completion of the version that is now outdated, a useful publication explaining the use and proper completion of the Elevation Certificate is FEMA's Floodplain Manangement Bulletin 467-1. Because it has not yet been updated to reflect reorganization of material in the Elevation Certificate, please note that references to particular lines may not be appropriate for the new form. However, the “how to&rdquo" information regarding content is valuable. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, Bulletin 467-1 may also be downloaded here. (PDF file, 640 KB)

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Over the years, FEMA has issued eleven Technical Bulletins to clarify various land development and construction aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program. Whether seeking acceptable floodplain development techniques or looking for guidance relating to completion of the Elevation Certificate, the Technical Bulletins address a number of questions. The list of Technical Bulletins below can all be downloaded as PDF files from FEMA's website, which can be accessed by clicking here. Technical Bulletins 1, 2, and 5 were updated in August 2008.

• Guide–01 User's Guide to Technical Bulletins
• TB 1 Openings in Foundation Walls
• TB 2 Flood–Resistant Materials Requirements
• TB 3–93 Non–Residential Floodproofing – Requirements and Certification
• TB 4–93 Elevator Installation
• TB 5 Free–of–Obstruction Requirements
• TB 6–93 Below–Grade Parking Requirements
• TB 7–93 Wet Floodproofing Requirements
• TB 8–96 Corrosion Protection for Metal Connectors in Coastal Areas
• TB 9–99 Design and Construction Guidance for Breakaway Walls Below Elevated Coastal Buildings
• TB 10–01 Ensuring that Structures Built on Fill In or Near Special Flood Hazard Areas are Reasonably Safe From Flooding
• TB 11–01 Crawlspace Construction for Buildings Located in Special Flood Hazard Areas

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Cadastral Consulting offers seminars, in–house training, and consulting services in floodplain management. Please follow the links below for descriptions of present educational offerings. We are can also provide customized services in helping your staff or organization meet its needs.

• Elevation Certificates: Update 2009
• FEMA Flood Insurance Mapping Issues
• Floodplain Development: Technical Guidance
• Floodplain Management Customized Courses

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