Question

Flood resistant building in long note

Answer 1

Protecting buildings that are constructed in special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) from damage caused by flood forces is an important objective of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In support of this objective, the NFIP regulations include minimum building design criteria that apply to new construction, repair of substantially damaged buildings, and substantial improvement of existing buildings in SFHAs. The base flood is used to delineate SFHAs on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) prepared by the NFIP. The base flood is the flood that has a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year (commonly called the “100-year” flood). Certain terms used in this Technical Bulletin are defined in the Glossary. The NFIP regulations require the use of construction materials that are resistant to flood damage. The lowest floor of a residential building must be elevated to or above the base flood elevation (BFE), while the lowest floor of a non-residential building must be elevated to or above the BFE or dry flood proofed to the BFE. All construction below the BFE is susceptible to flooding and must consist of flood damage-resistant building materials. The purpose of this Technical Bulletin is to provide current guidance on what constitute “materials resistant to flood damage” and how and when these materials must be used to improve a building’s ability to withstand flooding.Flooding is the overflow of excess water from a water body onto adjacent lands. FEMA more specifically defines a flood as a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the overflow of inland or tidal waters or the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.One or more water bodies can contribute to flooding at a given site—a river, stream, ocean, bay, lake, pond, storm water retention/detention area, etc.—depending on local topography and hydraulic/ hydrologic conditions.Flooding can damage buildings and their contents in many ways, but the most common flood damages arise from:direct damage during a flood from inundation, high velocity flow, waves, erosion, sedimentation and/or flood-borne debris,degradation of building materials, either during the flood or sometime after the flood, and contamination of the building due to flood-borne substances or mold.