Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)with No Base Flood Elevation (BFE) Declared

[jar546]

Since this is not an issue where I am because 100% of the island I am on is in 2 different SFHA from top to bottom, I was wondering how those of you that have buildings in the SFHA but without a study that determined the BFE. How does this process work for you?

 

[MtnArch]

Beware, too, that even though a BFE may have been determined by a local engineer based on FEMA's published report and graphs, FEMA may determine that a property's BFE is not the same. Per one of my previous posts we had this happen at a property where the original EoR used FEMA's graphs (nice thick lines at about 5pt!) to set the FF of the building; however, when the owner submitted a LOMA (or was it LOMR .. don't recall) 10 years later FEMA determined that the FF was 4/10 of an inch BELOW the BFE and was STILL in the floodplain.

 

[jar546]

Beware, too, that even though a BFE may have been determined by a local engineer based on FEMA's published report and graphs, FEMA may determine that a property's BFE is not the same. Per one of my previous posts we had this happen at a property where the original EoR used FEMA's graphs (nice thick lines at about 5pt!) to set the FF of the building; however, when the owner submitted a LOMA (or was it LOMR .. don't recall) 10 years later FEMA determined that the FF was 4/10 of an inch BELOW the BFE and was STILL in the floodplain.

I can certainly see that happening. I am fortunate that the entire town is in the SFHA and all BFEs are in place for VE and AE zones.