CRS Newsletter February 2012, click here for the PDF.

The newsletter covers info for Arkansas-Indiana-Iowa, Kansas-Kentucky, Missouri-Nebraska,  and Tennessee.  The newsletter focuses on 

news about the 2012 CRS COORDINATORS MANUAL

FY 2011 Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Unified Guidance

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs provide funding for eligible mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages including the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC), Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL). Guidance for HMA applications submitted during the FY 2011 grant cycle and for disasters occurring on or after June 1, 2010.
Click here for more information (pdf)

Guides for Substantial Improvement/Damage

Community floodplain managers and code officials who handle proposals to do work on existing buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas should add FEMA’s new Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Desk Reference to their book shelves. And those who cope with making substantial damage determinations, especially after floods (or other events) that damage large numbers of buildings, should check out the revised Substantial Damage Estimator. Both are available online:

Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Desk Reference (PDF) (FEMA P-758)

Substantial Damage Estimator (includes a user’s manual, workbook, and the software) (FEMA P-758)

FEMA Preferred Risk Policy Revisions

FEMA is revising its Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) eligibilty. Effective January 1, 2011, owners of buildings newly designed in a Special Flood Hazard Area following a flood map revision on or after October 1, 2008, may be able to maintain the lower cost PRP for two years following th effective date of the map change.
Click here for more information (PDF)

FY10 Flood Mapping Progress Report and Production Plan Now Available

The FY2010 Flood Mapping Progress Report and Production Plan details FEMA’s progress in prioritizing and delivering modernized flood maps for areas of the United States with the greatest flood risk. The report provides an update on performance in the flood Map Modernization Program and the strategy for prioritizing and initiating coastal, levee, and riverine flood engineering and map data updates for Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk Map). The report provides U.S. Maps depicting map production progress, planned updates, and an appendix that lists by State and county all scheduled and completed flood map production activities.

Click here for the report(PDF)

FEMA Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) Eligibility

FEMA is revising its Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) eligibility. Effective January 1, 2011, owners of buildings newly designed in a Special Flood Hazard Area following a flood map revision on or after October 1, 2008, may be able to maintain the lower cost PRP for two years following the effective date of the map change.
Click here for more information (PDF)
Cover Letter: PRP 2-Year Eligibility Extension Materials (PDF)
Property Owner’s Documentation 2-Year PRP Eligibility Extension (PDF)
Historic Flood Map Guide “Why Historic Flood Maps are important” (PDF)
PRP Community Official Fact Sheet # 1 “New Low-Cost Insurance Option” (PDF)
PRP Consumer Fact Sheet # 2 “New Low-Cost Insurance Option” (PDF)
FAQ – PRP Eligibility Extension Bulletin (PDF)
Talking Points PRP Eligibility Extension (PDF)

Elevation Certificate: Two new Building Diagrams have been added

2009 EC Available
FEMA’s new Elevation Certificate (EC) was approved for use, effective March 16, 2009, through March 31, 2012. The new EC will be phased in on a voluntary basis until March 31, 2010. Although the old version of the form is no longer available for distribution, existing copies may be used until March 31, 2010. Elevations certified on or after April 1, 2010, must be submitted on the new form.

What’s New?

• Section A adds items A8.d and A9.d to identify whether the enclosure, crawlspace, or garage has engineered flood openings.
• Section C now captures the lowest adjacent grade at lowest elevation of deck or stairs, including structural support. This information is required if the EC is being used to support a request for a LOMA or LOMR-F.
• Instructions for Section A for items A.8.b-c and A.9.b-c have been revised, in part, to allow the height of flood openings to be determined from the interior grade or floor.
• Instructions for other sections have been clarified and expanded, as needed.
• Two new Building Diagrams have been added:
  The new Diagram 1B is for raised-slab-on-grade or slab-on-stem-wall-with-fill single- and multiple-floor buildings. (Diagram 1 from the old Elevation Certificate is Diagram 1A on the new Elevation Certificate.)
  The new Diagram 9 is for all buildings (other than split-level) elevated on a subgrade crawlspace.
• Elevation Certificate (includes 8 building type diagrams for determining reference levels)
• Elevation Certificate MS Word Template

The EC form and instruction packet are available from the FEMA Distribution Center at 800-480-2520 (ask for FEMA Form 81-31). It will also be reproduced in the May 1, 2009 NFIP Flood Insurance Manual (PDF)