What is a Flood Insurance Study (FIS)?
A. The Flood Insurance Study (also known as Flood Elevation Study) means an examination, evaluation, and determination of flood hazards and, if appropriate, corresponding water surface elevations, or an examination, evaluation and determination of mudslide (i.e., mudflow) and/or flood-related erosion hazards. Q. Do coastal flood zones differ from other special flood hazard areas? A. Yes, coastal flood zones factor in increased flooding hazard caused by wave action. These flood zones are designated as VE zones with the V standing for “velocity.” Insurance premium amounts are usually higher in the VE zones than in riverine flooding areas. Q. What is a floodway? A. Floodway means the 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.
A Flood Insurance Study (FIS) is a book that contains information regarding flooding in a community and is developed in conjunction with the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). The FIS, also known as a flood elevation study, frequently contains a narrative of the flood history of a community and discusses the engineering methods used to develop the FIRMs. The study also contains flood profiles for studied flooding sources and can be used to determine Base Flood Elevations for some areas.
