I got a letter from FEMA saying I need an Elevation Certificate, what do I do next?

Elevation certificates (EC) are necessary when your home or business is in a high flood risk area. Your insurance agent uses the data from an elevation certificate to determine your flood insurance premium. FEMA provides a clear and detailed summary of who needs elevation certificates and why here: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/32330 If the data collected for an EC shows that your home is above Base Flood Elevation (meaning that there is a 1% or less chance that floodwaters will reach this elevation in a given year), it may be appropriate to apply for a Letter of Map Amendment. A LOMA is issued when a property “has been inadvertently mapped as being in the floodplain, but is actually on natural high ground above base flood elevation.”

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Executive Order affecting floodplain development issued January 31, 2015

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An Executive Order has been issued that is very important information for anyone working in the Special Flood Hazard Area. It takes future conditions into account and requires Design Elevations for lowest floors to be 2 feet above BFE for standard construction and 3 feet above BFE for critical facilities, or construction to the 500 year / 0.2%. Implementation of this new standard will not occur until the end of the 60-day public input period and agencies have been able to update their standards and regulations, which will also trigger public comment periods.

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