What is a “floodway”? What does it mean when homes or land are in the floodway?
A floodway is the area of the floodplain that should be kept free of obstructions to allow floodwaters to move downstream. Rivers and streams where FEMA has prepared detailed engineering studies may also have designated floodways. For most rivers and streams, the floodway is where the water is likely to be the deepest and fastest. Placing fill or buildings in a floodway may block the flow of water and increase flood heights. Because of this, your community will require that you submit engineering analyses before it approves permits for development in the floodway. If your home or other structure is already in the floodway, you may want to consider what you will do if it is damaged. If the structure is substantially damaged (the costs to repair equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the building) your community will require that you bring it into compliance. In most cases, this means you will have to elevate it above the base flood elevation. Because placing fill dirt in the
