Part 67 of the National Flood Insurance Program regulations requires the publication of public notices each time the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposes new or modified Base Flood Elevations (BFEs). These notices are for new or modified Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) or Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs), which may be based on FEMA-contracted studies/mapping projects; studies/mapping projects performed by participants in the Cooperating Technical Partners Program; or community-initiated map revisions, including Letters of Map Revision.
To view BFE listings for notices issued after April 1, 2007 (and for a select number of notices issued before that date), you may choose one of the following options:
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BFEs are the elevations of the flood that has a 1-percent chance of occurrence in any given year; the base flood is also referred to as the “1-percent-annual-chance flood” or the “100-year flood.” These notices are published twice in local newspapers with wide circulation and once in the FEDERAL REGISTER. Immediately before the start of the statutorily required 90-day appeal periods for the affected communities, FEMA sends letters to the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)—mayors, parish presidents, county executives, etc.—and floodplain administrators of the communities to notify them officially about the publication of the BFE notices The 90-day appeal period begins on the second publication date of the notice in the local newspaper(s).
During the 90-day appeal period, any owner or lessee of real property in the mapped community who believes his or her property rights will be adversely affected by the BFE determinations may appeal to the community CEO, or to an agency that the CEO publicly designates. It is important to note, however, that the sole basis for such appeals is the possession of knowledge or information indicating that the proposed BFE determinations are scientifically or technically incorrect. These appeal data must be submitted to FEMA during the 90-day appeal period. Only appeals of the proposed BFEs supported by scientific or technical data can be considered before FEMA makes its final determination at the end of the 90-day appeal period.
Appeals of the proposed BFEs shall be based solely on scientific or technical evidence contrary to that of the proposed FIRM or DFIRM and accompanying Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report. However, inquiries regarding data other than the proposed BFE determinations (e.g., incorrect street names, typographical errors, omissions) will be considered by FEMA, and any applicable changes will be made before the FIRM, DFIRM, or FIS become effective.
If you have any difficulty locating the BFE notice you are interested in, or if you have any questions regarding the BFE notice once you have located it, please call a Map Specialist in the FEMA Map Assistance Center, toll free, at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627), for assistance
Last Modified: Tuesday, 13-May-2008 17:41:32 EDT