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Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) and Letter of Map Revision-Based on Fill (LOMR-F) Process

Overview of Maps and Map Change Processes for Properties

As part of its administration of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) publishes flood hazard maps, called Flood Insurance Rate Maps, or FIRMs. The purpose of a FIRM is to show the areas in a community that are subject to flooding and the risk associated with these flood hazards. One of the areas shown on the FIRM is a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). The SFHA is the area that has a 1-percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year; this area is also referred to by some as the 1-percent-annual-chance floodplain, base floodplain, or the 100-year floodplain. The flood hazard and risk information presented on the FIRMs is the result of engineering studies that are performed by engineering companies, other Federal agencies, or communities, which are reviewed for compliance with FEMA guidelines and approved by FEMA.

FEMA uses the most accurate flood hazard information available and applies rigorous standards in developing the FIRMs. However, because of limitations of scale or topographic definition of the source maps used to prepare a FIRM, small areas may be inadvertently shown within an SFHA on a FIRM even though the property (legally defined parcel(s) of land, structure[s]) is on natural ground and is at or above the elevation of the 1-percent-annual-chance flood. This elevation is most commonly referred to as the Base Flood Elevation, or BFE. Such cases are referred to as "inadvertent inclusions."

For other small areas, earthen fill may have been placed during construction, thereby elevating a small area within the SFHA to an elevation that is at or above the BFE. This construction may have taken place during the time the engineering study was being performed or subsequent to that study. Because of the limited extent of the elevated area and the limitations of the map scale, it may not have been possible for FEMA to show this area as being outside the SFHA and so these areas have been incorrectly included in the SFHA on the FIRM.

Recognizing that these situations do occur, FEMA established administrative procedures to change the designation for these properties on the FIRM. These processes are referred to as the Letter of Map Amendment, or LOMA, process and the Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill, or LOMR-F, process. Through these processes, an individual who owns, rents, or leases property may submit certain mapping and survey information to FEMA and request that FEMA issue a document that officially removes a property and/or structure from the SFHA. In most cases, the applicant will need to hire a Licensed Land Surveyor or Registered Professional Engineer to prepare an Elevation Certificate for the property. Upon receiving a complete application forms package, FEMA will normally complete its review and issue its determination in 4 to 6 weeks.

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NFIP Regulations

The regulatory requirements for the LOMA process are documented in Part 70 of the NFIP regulations. The regulatory requirements for the LOMR-F process are documented in Part 65 of the NFIP regulations. Individuals who are interested in reviewing these regulations may view or download them from the Guidance Documents and Other Published Resources page of the FEMA Website.

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Guidance Documents

FEMA has prepared guidance documents to assist citizens with their LOMA and LOMR-F applications and submittals:

Links to these guidance documents are provided in the "Fast Facts" section on the upper right-hand side of this page. The forms provide step-by-step instructions for requesters to follow and are comprehensive, ensuring that the requesters' submittals are complete and logically structured. Use of these forms allows FEMA to complete its review quicker and at lower cost to the NFIP. While completing the forms may seem burdensome, the advantages to the requesters outweigh any inconvenience.

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LOMA Determination Requirements


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LOMR-F Determination Requirements


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Using eLOMA to Expedite Simple LOMA Requests

To make submitting LOMA requests quicker and easier, FEMA created eLOMA— a web-based application within FEMA's Mapping Information Platform (MIP). eLOMA provides licensed land surveyors and professional engineers (Licensed Professionals) a system to submit simple LOMA requests to FEMA.

Note that not all LOMA requests qualify to be submitted using the eLOMA tool. At this time, only existing single residential structures or entire legally recorded properties qualify.

If all the required supporting data are submitted according to eLOMA criteria, a Licensed Professional could obtain a LOMA determination in a matter of minutes. The eLOMA process is much faster than the standard LOMA process, which historically took up to 60 days.

To ensure the accuracy of the eLOMA determinations, FEMA performs random audits of eLOMA submittals. eLOMA requests that are audited by FEMA are processed within five business days of receiving all of the required supporting data from the Licensed Professional.

Local community Floodplain Administrators may be able to assist in locating a Licensed Professional qualified to use eLOMA. To learn more about eLOMA, please view eLOMA Electronic Letters of Map Amendment.

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Effect of LOMA or LOMR-F on Flood Insurance Requirements

The issuance of a LOMA or LOMR-F eliminates the Federal flood insurance purchase requirement as a condition of Federal or federally backed financing; however, the mortgage lender retains the prerogative to require flood insurance as a condition of providing financing, regardless of the location of a structure. The purchase of a flood insurance policy is wise even if a structure is located outside the SFHA. More than 25 percent of flood claims are made by property owners located outside the SFHA. The issuance of a LOMA or LOMR-F does not mean the structure or lot is safe from all flooding; it means that the risk of flooding is not as high as it is in the SFHA. Events greater than the 1-percent-annual-chance event can and do occur. It is also to important to note that the flood insurance premium rate for structures located outside the SFHA are lower than the premiums for structures located in the SFHA.

To learn more about flood insurance and receive other answers to questions about the NFIP, please visit Answers to questions about the NFIP.

To learn more about the purchase of flood insurance and the options that are available, please visit Flood Smart.gov.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 04-Feb-2009 08:07:46 EST

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