Attention Municipalities Enrolled in National Flood Insurance Program

44 CFR 60.3 – Floodplain management criteria for flood-prone areas

FEMA is requiring that all municipalities enrolled and participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) obtain permits for all projects (including their own) when work is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area. This means a permit is required for any area subject to flooding by the 1% annual chance flood.

What Municipalities Need to Know: 

• Where the 1% annual chance flood areas are, and if building permits are needed to do work in those areas.
• Current permitting forms may need modifications to accommodate for this new rule.
• A policy must be in place to self-permit work.

How Commonwealth Engineers Can Help:

• Provide mapping of Special Flood Hazard Areas.
• Aid in modifying permitting forms and approach to accommodate new rule.
• Aid in establishing the required records-sharing with FEMA.
• Help identify and define low-to-no impact areas.
• Revisit current mapping to see if there is a way to reduce the flood hazard areas.

Reference this policy at https://www.govregs.com/regulations/title44_chapterI_part60_subpartA_section60.3

If you have any questions regarding floodplain management, contact Roger Kottlowski, P.E. or Theresa Criss-Hartwig.