Glossary

(Note: Sources indicated at the end of each definition are listed at the end of the glossary.)

1-percent annual chance floodplain: This is the boundary of the flood that has a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. Also known as the 100-year floodplain.

1-percent annual chance water-surface elevation: The height, in relation to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (or other datum, where specified), of the flood having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given flood year (also known as the 100-year flood or the base flood).

100-year flood: The flood having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year; also known as the base flood. The 1-percent annual chance flood, which is the standard used by most Federal and state agencies, is used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as the standard for floodplain management and to determine the need for flood insurance. A structure located within a special flood hazard area shown on an NFIP map has a 26 percent chance of suffering flood damage during the term of a 30-year mortgage.

100-year floodplain: This is the boundary of the flood that has a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. Officially termed the 1-percent annual chance floodplain.

500-year floodplain: This is the boundary of the flood that has a 0.2-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. Officially termed the 0.2-percent annual chance floodplain.

Active Shooter: An individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined space or other populated area, most often using firearms and following no pattern or method in the selection of victims. (DHS Active Shooter)

After-Action Report (AAR): Report that summarizes key exercise-related evaluation information, including the exercise overview and analysis of objectives and core capabilities. (HSEEP 2013)

All-Hazards: A grouping classification encompassing all conditions, environmental or human-caused, that have the potential to cause injury, illness, or death; damage to or loss of equipment, infrastructure services, or property; or alternatively causing functional degradation to social, economic, or environmental aspects. (NIPP)

Applicant: A State government, Territorial government, local government, Indian Tribes or authorized Tribal organizations and Alaskan Native Villages, and certain Private Nonprofit Organization who submit a request for disaster assistance under the State’s disaster declaration. The term “applicant” and “subgrantee/subrecipient” are often used interchangeably.

Applicants Briefing: A meeting conducted by a representative of the State/Tribe for potential Public Assistance applicants. The briefing occurs after an emergency or major disaster has been declared and addressed application procedures, administrative requirements, funding, and program eligibility criteria.

Backwater: The effect of downstream flow on the water-surface profile.

Base Flood Elevation (BFE): The height of the base flood, usually in feet, in relation to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, the North American Vertical Datum of 1988, or other datum referenced in the Flood Insurance Study report, or depth of the base flood, usually in feet, above the ground surface.

Base Flood: The flood having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year; also known as the 100-year flood. The base flood, which is the standard used by most Federal and state agencies, is used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as the standard for floodplain management and to determine the need for flood insurance. A structure located within a special flood hazard area shown on an NFIP map has a 26 percent chance of suffering flood damage during the term of a 30-year mortgage.

Case Management File: A systems approach to provision of equitable and fast service to applicants for disaster assistance. Organized around the needs of the applicant, the system consists of a single point of coordination, a team of on-site specialists, and a centralized, automated filing system.

Channel Bank Stations: Points that identify the extreme limits of the natural stream channel. These stations are typically assigned at locations along a cross section where a relatively flat area exists outside of the channel.

Community: Any State or area or political subdivision thereof, or any Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or Alaska Native village or authorized native organization, which has authority to adopt and enforce flood plain management regulations for the areas within its jurisdiction.

Confluence: A location where two streams or rivers meet.

Consequence: The effect of an event, incident, or occurrence. (NPG)

Contour: A line on a map joining points of equal altitude.

Contract: A legal instrument by which an applicant purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal award.

Cost Analysis: The review and evaluation of the separate cost elements (such as labor hours, overhead, materials, etc.) and proposed profit in a proposal to determine a fair and reasonable price for a contract and the application of judgement to determine how well the proposed costs represent what the cost of the contract should be. see also Price Analysis

Cost Estimating Format (CEF): A forward-pricing model that allows FEMA to account for all possible costs associated with projects for which the base costs of labor, materials, and equipment meet or exceed the large project threshold. The CEF relies on the development of a clear definition of the scope of work. From there, the CEF uses a base cost estimate and design and construction contingency factors are applied as a percentage of the base cost.

Critical Depth: The depth of flow at which, for a given discharge at a given location, the total energy is the minimum value possible for flow to occur.

Cross Section: A line developed from topographic information across a floodplain at which a computation of flood flow has been made to establish a potential flood elevation. Cross sections are shown on the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map, Flood Insurance Rate Map, and/or Flood Profiles of a Flood Insurance Study.

Cubic feet per second (cfs): Typical units used to express the rate of flow of surface water in open channels. One cubic foot is approximately equal to 7.5 gallons per second.

Datum: FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) reference the elevation datum used to compute flood elevations. In completing elevation certificates, the same elevation datum as that shown on the FIRM must be used to compute lot and/or structure elevations and to compute flood elevations that are not given on the FIRM. The National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) is the national standard reference datum for elevations, formerly referred to as Mean Sea Level (MSL) of 1929. NGVD is used as the reference datum on most FIRMs.

Declaration: The President’s decision in which a major disaster qualifies for Federal assistance under the Stafford Act.

Depth: Maximum depth of water in the cross section as measured below the water-surface elevation.

Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM): As part of FEMA`s Map Modernization Objectives, the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) product was developed. The DFIRM product includes a spatial database with options that can be invoked depending on the available data. The DFIRM spatial database includes certain standard features and meets minimum mapping requirements.

Discharge: The volume of water that passes a given location within a given period of time. Usually expressed in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Drill: a coordinated, supervised activity usually employed to validate a specific operation or function in a single agency or organization. Drills are commonly used to provide training on new equipment, develop or validate new policies or procedures, or practice and maintain current skills. (HSEEP 2013)

Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): An ongoing plan for responding to a wide variety of potential threats and hazards. (NIMS)

Emergency Work: That work which must be performed to reduce or eliminate an immediate threat to life, protect public health and safety, and to protect improved property that is threatened in a significant way as a result of the disaster. Emergency work includes clearance and debris removal and emergency protective measures. (Category A-B)

Exercise: An instrument to train for, assess, practice, and improve performance in prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery capabilities in a risk-free environment. Exercises can be used for testing and validating policies, plans, procedures, training, equipment, and interagency agreements; clarifying and training personnel in roles and responsibilities; improving interagency coordination and communications; improving individual performance; identifying gaps in resources; and identifying opportunities for improvement. (HSEEP 2013)

Expedited Payments: An advance of grant funds to assist with payment of emergency work after a disaster strikes. The amount of funding is normally 50% of the federal share of emergency costs as identified during the preliminary damage assessment. Payment for Category A will be within 60 days after the estimate was made and no later than 90 days after the Request for Public Assistance was submitted.

Facility: Any publicly or PNP-owned building, works, system, or equipment (built or manufactured) or certain improved and maintained natural features. Improved land used for agricultural purposes and planted trees and shrubs are not facilities. Force Account Labor performed by the applicant’s employees and applicant-owned equipment, rather than by a contractor.

Federal Awarding Agency: The federal agency that provides a federal award directly to a non-Federal entity (NFE).

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): An independent agency of the Federal government, founded in 1979, which reports directly to the President. FEMA is responsible for identifying and mitigating natural and man-made hazards. The agency's mission is: to reduce loss of life and property and protect our nation's critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

Flood (also Flooding): A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of 2 or more acres of normally dry land areas. For flood insurance claim purposes, two or more properties must be inundated before flood damage will be covered.

Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM): A pre-Map Initiatives floodplain management map that delineates the 100-year (1% annual chance) and 500-year (0.2% annual chance) floodplains, floodway, and cross sections.

Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM): Initial map issued by FEMA to identify approximate Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) within a community.

Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM): A map on which the 100-year (1% annual chance) and 500-year (0.2% annual chance) floodplains, Base Flood Elevations, and risk premium zones (and floodway information on Map Initiatives FIRMs) are delineated to enable insurance agents to issue accurate flood insurance policies to homeowners in communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Flood Insurance Study (FIS): An examination, evaluation, and determination of flood hazards and, if appropriate corresponding water-surface elevations. The resulting reports are used to develop Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Also known as a flood elevation study.

Flood Profile: A cross-sectional drawing showing the contiguous cross sections along a stream, with ground elevations and potential flood elevations plotted. Floodplain or Flood-Prone Area Any land area susceptible to inundation by water from any source.

Floodplain Management: The operation of a program of corrective and preventative measures for mitigating flood damage, including, but not limited to, emergency preparedness plans, flood-control works, and floodplain management regulations.

Floodway: Channel of a stream plus any adjacent floodplain areas that must be kept free of encroachment so that the 100-year flood discharge can be conveyed without increasing the elevation of the 100-year flood by more than a specified amount (1 foot in most states).

Force Account: An Applicant’s own labor forces and equipment.

Full and open competition: Generally, full and open competition means that all responsible contractors are permitted to submit a sealed bid or proposal on the procurement.

Grant: According to 44 CFR 13, a grant is an award of financial assistance, including cooperative agreements, in the form of money, or property in lieu of money, by the Federal Government to an eligible grantee. The term does not include technical assistance which provides services instead of money, or other assistance in the form of revenue sharing, loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, insurance, or direct appropriations. Also, the term does not include assistance, such as a fellowship or other lump sum award, which the grantee is not required to account for.

HEC-2 and HEC-RAS: Are step backwater programs developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center for use in calculating water-surface profiles for steady, gradually varied flow in natural or man-made channels.

Hazard Mitigation: Any cost-effective action taken to prevent or reduce the threat of future damage to a facility from a disaster event.

Hazard:

• Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted outcome. (NIPP, NIMS)
• Natural or man-made source or cause of harm or difficulty (DHS Risk Lexicon)

Hydraulic Radius: Equal to (Area of cross section / Wetted Perimeter)

Immediate Needs Funding (INF): An advance of grant funds to assist with payment of emergency work within the first 60 days after a disaster strikes. The amount of funding is normally 50% of the federal share of emergency costs as identified during the preliminary damage assessment. This form of funding must be requested by the State/Tribe.

Imminent Threat: Intelligence or operational information that warns of a credible, specific, and impending terrorist threat or ongoing attack against the United States and its territories that is sufficiently specific and credible to recommend implementation of protective measures to thwart or mitigate against an attack. (NPG)

Improved Property: A structure, facility, or item of equipment that was built, constructed, or manufactured. Land improved for agricultural purposes is not improved property.

Incident Command System (ICS): A standardized on-scene emergency management construct specifically designed to provide an integrated organizational structure that reflects the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents, without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during incidents. It is used for all kinds of emergencies and is applicable to small as well as large and complex incidents. ICS is used by various jurisdictions and functional agencies, both public and private, to organize field-level incident management operations. (NIMS)

Incident Management: The broad spectrum of activities and organizations providing effective and efficient operations, coordination, and support applied at all levels of government, utilizing both governmental and nongovernmental resources to plan for, respond to, and recover from an incident, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. (NIMS)

Incident: An occurrence, caused by either human action or natural phenomena, that may cause harm and may require action. Incidents can include major disasters, emergencies, terrorist attacks, terrorist threats, wild and urban fires, floods, hazardous materials spills, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, war-related disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and other occurrences requiring an emergency response. (NIPP, DHS Risk Lexicon)

Kickoff Meeting: At this working session conducted by the PAC Crew Leader, the applicant turns in a list of damages and receives comprehensive information about the Public Assistance program and detailed guidance for their specific circumstances. This meeting is the first step in establishing a partnership among FEMA, the State/Tribe, and the applicant and is designed to focus on the specific needs of the applicant. The meeting focuses on the eligibility and documentation requirements that are most pertinent to an applicant.

Large Project: The large project threshold is determined annually at the beginning of the Federal government’s fiscal year (October 1st). Visit the Public Assistance Per Capita Impact Indicator and Project Thresholds website for more information.

Letter of Map Change (LOMC): A LOMC is a letter which reflects an official change to an effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). LOMCs are issued in response to a request for FEMA to amend or revise its effective flood map to remove a property or reflect changed flooding conditions on the effective map. When certain technical or scientific evidence is available that proves that a property has been inadvertently mapped in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), or flood hazard data needs to be revised due to man-made changes, a request to FEMA for a LOMC may be submitted. For more information on LOMCs, select this link.

Manning’s “n” Roughness Coefficient: Coefficient used to account for the friction caused by earthen, vegetative, and/or manmade surfaces within a floodplain cross-section. The coefficient, n, is commonly used to represent flow resistance for hydraulic computations of flow in open channels. The procedure for selecting n values is subjective and requires judgment and skill that is developed primarily through experience. The expertise necessary for proper selection of n values can be obtained in part by examining characteristics of channels that have known or verified roughness coefficients. A table of Manning` values is available from the pull-down menu in the Quick-2 program.

Map Initiatives: A Flood Insurance Rate Map format developed in 1985 that incorporates information formerly shown on the separately printed Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM) (e.g., floodways and cross-sections). FIRM A Flood Insurance Rate Map format developed in 1985 that incorporates information formerly shown on the separately printed Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM) (e.g., floodways and cross-sections). Also referred to as combined Flood Insurance Rate Map/FBFM.

Map Repository: The location where a community's flood maps are kept; usually the local zoning and planning office.

Map Service Center (MSC): The Map Service Center (MSC) distributes National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) products including: Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM), Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM), Flood Insurance Studies (FIS), Digital Q3 flood data, Community Status Book, Flood Map Status Information Service (FMSIS), and Letters of Map Change (LOMC).

Mitigation: The capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. (NPG)

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP): Federal insurance program under which flood-prone areas are identified and flood insurance is made available to residents of participating communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage.

National Incident Management System: A set of principles that provides a systematic, proactive approach guiding government agencies at all levels, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life or property and harm to the environment. (NIMS)

National Preparedness: The actions taken to plan, organize, equip, train, and exercise to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation. (NPG)

Non-Federal Entity (NFE): A state, local government, Indian Tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), or eligible private nonprofit organization (PNP) that carries out a federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.

Non-State Entity: A non-state entity is an eligible recipient or subrecipient that does not meet the definition of a “state.”

Normal Depth: The depth expected for a stream when the flow is uniform, steady, one dimensional, and is not affected by downstream obstructions or flow changes. This is the usual calculation that is utilized to determine Base Flood Elevations for property or structures in approximate Zone A) areas.

Overbank: The area of a cross section that is found outside of the channel bank stations on either side of the stream channel.

Peak Discharge: The peak volume of water that passes a given location within a given period of time. Usually expressed in cubic feet per second.

Permanent Work: Work that is required to restore a damaged facility, through repair or restoration, to its pre-disaster design, function, and capacity in accordance with applicable codes or standards. (Category C-G)

Perpendicular to Flow Path: Cross sections should be plotted so that they are oriented in a manner that is perpendicular to the flow path. Plotting cross sections in this manner requires that the user examine the topography to determine the direction in which the water is most likely to flow in relation to different points along the proposed cross section line. Typically, this can be achieved by ensuring that the cross section line crosses each contour on the topographic map at or near a 90° angle.

Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA): A survey to document the impact and magnitude of the disaster on individuals, families, businesses, and public property and to gather information for disaster management purposes. The information gathered is used to determine whether Federal assistance should be requested by the Governor/Tribal Executive and forms the basis for the disaster declaration.

Prevention: The capabilities necessary to avoid, prevent, or stop a threatened or actual act of terrorism. For the purposes of the prevention framework called for in PPD-8, the term “prevention” refers to preventing imminent threats. (NPG)

Price Analysis: The examination and evaluation of a proposed price without evaluating its separate cost elements and proposed profit. Techniques may include comparing offers with one another; comparing prior proposed prices and contract prices with current proposed prices for the same or similar goods or services; comparing offers with competitive published price lists, published market prices, or similar indexes; comparing proposed prices with independently developed estimates of the non-state entity; and comparing proposed prices with prices of the same or similar items obtained through market research. see also Cost Analysis

Private Nonprofit Organization (PNP): Any non-governmental agency or entity that currently has either an effective ruling letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service granting tax exemption or satisfactory evidence from the State/Tribe that the non-revenue producing organization or entity is a nonprofit one organized or operating under State/Tribe law.

Program Delivery Manager (PDMG): A customer service manager who works with the applicant to resolve disaster-related needs and ensure that the applicant’s projects are processed as efficiently and expeditiously as possible. By being involved from the declaration to the obligation of funds, the PDMG ensures continuity of service throughout the delivery of the PA Program. A PDMG generally has responsibility for more than one applicant.

Project Formulation: The process of identifying the eligible scope of work and estimating the costs associated with that scope of work for each of the applicant’s projects and using logical and consistent methods to consolidate like work items into one project to expedite approval and funding and to facilitate project management.

Project Specialist: A position primarily staffed by FEMA personnel. However, FEMA often relies on State/Tribe, other Federal agency, and contractor resources to supplement these positions. State/Tribe personnel may also be assigned to work with FEMA staff and local officials involved with response and recovery efforts. They are a resource for the applicant. Typically, Project Specialists are responsible for assisting with the development of projects and cost estimates.

Project Worksheet (PW): Form used to document the location, damage description and dimensions, scope of work and cost estimate for each project. It is the basis for the grant.

Protection: The capabilities necessary to secure the homeland against acts of terrorism and manmade or natural disasters. (NPG)

Psychological Consequence: Effect of an incident, event, or occurrence on the mental or emotional state of individuals or groups resulting in a change in perception and/or behavior (DHS Risk Lexicon)

Public Assistance (PA): Supplementary Federal assistance provided under the Stafford Act to State/Tribes, communities and certain private nonprofit organizations (PNPs) to help them recover from disasters as quickly as possible.

Public Assistance (PA) Applicant: An NFE submitting an application for financial assistance under the PA Program, including entities that would be a recipient and entities that would be a subrecipient under a federal award.

Public Assistance (PA) Program: FEMA has administratively combined some of the Stafford Act authorities under the umbrella of its Public Assistance (PA) Program. Under its PA Program, FEMA provides financial assistance through federal awards to a state, territorial, or Indian Tribal Government (recipients), which in turn carry out work directly and/or process subawards to other eligible Public Assistance applicants (subrecipients).

Public Information: Processes, procedures, and systems for communicating timely, accurate, and accessible information on an incident’s cause, size, and current situation; resources committed; and other matters of general interest to the public, responders, and additional stakeholders (both directly affected and indirectly affected). (NIMS)

Putrescent Debris: Any debris that will decompose or rot, such as animal carcasses and other fleshy organic matter.

Rating Curve: A curve showing the relationship between depth of flow and the discharge of a stream at a given location.

Recovery: The capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively. (NPG)

Request for Public Assistance (RPA): The applicant’s official notification to FEMA of intent to apply for Public Assistance monies following declaration of a disaster. It is a short form that asks for general identifying information about an applicant.

Resources: Personnel and major items of equipment, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for assignment to incident operations and for which status is maintained. Resources are described by kind and type and may be used in operational support or supervisory capacities at an incident or at an Emergency Operations Center. (NIMS)

Response: The capabilities necessary to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs after an incident has occurred. (NPG)

Risk Assessment: A product or process which collects information and assigns values to risks for the purpose of informing priorities, developing or comparing courses of action, and informing decision making. (DHS Risk Lexicon)

Risk: The potential for an unwanted outcome resulting from an incident, event, or occurrence, as determined by its likelihood and the associated consequences. (NIPP, DHS Risk Lexicon)

Scale: A representative fraction of map distance to ground distance. Example: 1:12,000 is the representative fraction in which one unit of measure on the map is equal to 12,000 of the same units of measure on the ground. Federal Emergency Management Agency map scales are expressed in a ratio of map distance equal to a given number of feet on the ground.

Security: The protection of the Nation and its people, vital interests, and way of life. (NPG, PPD-8)

Small Project: Eligible project, either emergency or permanent work, with an estimated damage dollar value of below the fiscal year threshold. The threshold is adjusted each fiscal year to account for inflation. For fiscal year 2007, the threshold is $59,700.

Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA): Area inundated by the base (1-percent annual chance) flood, identified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map as Zones A, AE, AH, AO, AR, V, VE, or A99.

Spectial Considerations: Factors that must be addressed before federal grant money can be obligated to repair or restore damaged facilities. These factors include, but are not limited to, general and flood insurance, historic preservation, environmental protection, and hazard mitigation.

Stafford Act: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93- 288, as amended.

Step-Backwater Analysis: Method used in Quick-2 (and other modeling programs) to analyze multiple crosssections. Water-surface elevations are determined for all sections based on a given discharge. The initial water-surface elevation is automatically determined by the normal depth method or by a direct input of a water-surface elevation or depth.

Technical Specialist: A position primarily staffed by FEMA personnel. However, FEMA often relies on State/Tribe, other Federal agency and contractor resources to supplement these positions. State/Tribe personnel may also be assigned to work with FEMA staff and local officials involved with response and recovery efforts. They are a resource for the applicant. Typically, Technical Specialists have a defined area of expertise in such areas as roads and bridges, utility infrastructure, debris removal and disposal, environmental and historic preservation compliance, insurance, and cost estimating.

Threat: A natural or manmade occurrence, individual, entity, or action that has or indicates the potential to harm life, information, operations, the environment, and/or property. (NIPP, DHS Risk Lexicon)

Validation: A process to sample that small projects prepared by an applicant without assistance from FEMA or the State/Tribe to ensure that the applicant has developed complete, accurate scopes of work; the work and costs included in the PWs are eligible for Public Assistance; the cost estimates are accurate and reasonable; and that Special Considerations issues have been identified.

Vulnerability: A physical feature or operational attribute that renders an entity open to exploitation or susceptible to a given hazard. (NIPP, DHS Risk Lexicon)

Water-Surface Elevation: The height, in relation to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (or other datum, where specified) of floods of various magnitudes and frequencies in the identified floodplains of coastal or riverine areas.

Whole Community: A focus on enabling the participation in national preparedness activities of a wider range of players from the private and nonprofit sectors, including nongovernmental organizations and the general public, in conjunction with the participation of Federal, state, and local governmental partners in order to foster better coordination and working relationships. (NPG)

ZONE A: Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event generally determined using approximate methodologies. Because detailed hydraulic analyses have not been performed, no Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or flood depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Most current Zone A definition available at https://www.fema.gov/zone-ahgov/zone

Zone A99: Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event, but which will ultimately be protected upon completion of an under-construction Federal flood protection system. These are areas of special flood hazard where enough progress has been made on the construction of a protection system, such as dikes, dams, and levees, to consider it complete for insurance rating purposes. Zone A99 may only be used when the flood protection system has reached specified statutory progress toward completion. No Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Most current Zone A99 definition available at https://www.fema.gov/zone-a99

Zone AE and A1-A30: Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event determined by detailed methods. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Most current Zone AE and Zones A1-30 definitions available at https://www.fema.gov/zone-ae-and-a1-30

Zone AH: Areas subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual-chance shallow flooding (usually areas of ponding) where average depths are between one and three feet. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown in this zone. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Most current Zone AH definition available at https://www.fema.gov/zone-ah

Zone AO: Areas subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual-chance shallow flooding (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain) where average depths are between one and three feet. Average flood depths derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown in this zone. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. -Some Zone AO have been designated in areas with high flood velocities such as alluvial fans and washes. Communities are encouraged to adopt more restrictive requirements for these areas. Most current Zone AO definition available at https://www.fema.gov/zoneao

Zone AR, AR/A1-30, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/AO, and AR/A: Areas that result from the decertification of a previously accredited flood protection system that is determined to be in the process of being restored to provide base flood protection. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Most current Zone AR, AR/A1-30, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/AO, and AR/A definition available at https://www.fema.gov/zone-ar

Zone B, C, and X: Zones B, C, and X are the flood insurance rate zones that correspond to areas outside the 100-year floodplains, areas of 100-year sheet flow flooding where average depths are less than 1 foot, areas of 100-year stream flooding where the contributing drainage area is less than 1 square mile, or areas protected from the 100-year flood by levees. No Base Flood Elevations or depths are shown within this zone.

Zone D: Designation on National Flood Insurance Program maps used for areas where there are possible, but undetermined, flood hazards. In areas designated as Zone D, no analysis of flood hazards has been conducted. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements do not apply, but coverage is available. The flood insurance rates for properties in Zone D are commensurate with the uncertainty of the flood risk.

Zone V: Areas along coasts subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards associated with storm-induced waves. Because detailed hydraulic analyses have not been performed, no Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or flood depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Most current Zone V definition available at https://www.fema.gov/zone-v

Zone VE and Zones V1-30: Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards due to storm-induced velocity wave action. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Most current Zone VE and Zones V1-30 definitions available at https://www.fema.gov/zone-ve-and-v1-30

Sources:

• Department of Homeland Security. Active Shooter: How To Respond. October 2008.
• Department of Homeland Security. DHS Risk Lexicon. September 2010.
• Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). April 2013.
• Department of Homeland Security. National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). 2009.
• Department of Homeland Security. National Preparedness Goal (NPG). September 2011.
• FEMA. National Incident Management System (NIMS). November 2008.
• The White House. Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8): National Preparedness. March 2011.