Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following definition shall apply:
BASE FLOODThe flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
DEVELOPMENTShall be defined as "any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials."
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM)An Official Map of a community on which the FEMA Administrator has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDYIs the official report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The report contains flood profiles, the water surface elevation of the base food, and other flood data.
FLOOD OR FLOODING(1) A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
(a) The overflow of inland or tidal waters.
The unusual and rapid accumulation or run-off of surface waters from any source.
Mudslides (i.e., mudflows), which are proximately caused or precipitated by accumulations of water on or under the ground.
The collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or other body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels or suddenly caused by an unusually high water level in a natural body of water accompanied by a severe storm, or by an unanticipated force of nature, such as flash flood or an abnormal tidal surge, or by similarly unusual or unforeseeable event which results in flooding.
FLOOD PROOFEDIs defined to mean "watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and with structural components having the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy."
LOWEST FLOORMeans the lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or store, in an area other than a basement area is not considered a building's lowest floor.
MANUFACTURED HOMEMeans a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The term also includes recreational vehicles, park trailers, travel trailers, and similar transportable structures placed on a site for 180 days or longer and intended to be improved property.
MEAN SEA LEVELMeans, for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929 or other datum, to which base flood elevations shown on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map are referenced.
NEW CONSTRUCTIONFor insurance purposes, new construction will pertain to structures for which the start of construction or substantial improvement commenced on or after the effective date of the Flood Insurance Rate Map.
(1) For floodplain management purposes, new construction means structures for which the start of construction or substantial improvement commenced after the effective date of these regulations.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLESMeans a vehicle which is:
(1) Built on a single chassis;
400 square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection;
Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck; and
Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
REGULATORY FLOODWAYThe channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height.
START OF CONSTRUCTIONIncludes substantial improvement and means the date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction repair, reconstruction, or improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The actual start means the first placement of permanent construction of a structure (including a manufactured home) on a site, such as the pouring of slabs or footings, installation of piles, construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation or placement of a manufactured home on a foundation. Permanent construction does not include land preparation, such as clearing, grading, and filling; nor does it include excavation for a basement, footings, piers or foundations, or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure.
STRUCTUREFor floodplain management purposes, is a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home. "Structure" for insurance coverage purposes, means a walled and roofed building, other than a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground and affixed to a permanent site, as well as a manufactured home or foundation. For the latter purpose, the term included a building in the course of construction, alteration or repair, but does not include building materials or supplies intended for use in such construction, alteration or repair, unless such materials or supplies are within an enclosed building on the premises.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGEDamage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its origin before damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the structure before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTMeans any combination of repairs, reconstruction, alteration, or improvements to a structure-taking place over a 10-year period, in which the cumulative cost equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure. The market value of the structure should be; 1) the appraised value of the structure "using the cost approach to value" prior to the start of the initial repair or improvement, or 2) in the case of damage, the value of the structure prior to the damage occurring. For the purposes of this definition, "Substantial Improvement" is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the structure. The term does not, however, include any improvement project required to comply with existing health, sanitary, or safety code specification, which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions.