Check with the municipal floodplain administrator who may also serve as the building inspector, planner, engineer or code enforcement officer. Obtain answers to these questions:

- Does the community participate in the National Flood Insurance Program?

- Has this area been designated as a flood hazard area on the municipal Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)?

- Is there a history of flooding for this property?

- If within a flood hazard area, ask to see a copy of the municipality's floodplain management regulations which permit and regulate all development on flood prone properties.

- Development means any man made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, paving, excavation, drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.

- Has a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) been issued by FEMA for this property and/or structure?

- Is the date of construction for existing structures before or after the date of the community's first FIRM? If after, is the structure compliant with municipal floodplain management regulations? This will affect flood insurance premium rates.

- Has the structure been substantially improved since the date of the community's first FIRM? If it has, is it compliant with the municipal floodplain management regulations? This also may affect flood insurance premium rates.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO OBTAIN SATISFACTORY ANSWERS TO ANY OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, SEEK THE ASSISTANCE OF A CERTIFIED FLOODPLAIN MANAGER.

A complete flood hazard appraisal by Knapp Associates provides:

        Approximate percentage of property in SFHA.

        Approximate depth of water on affected property where base or 100 year flood elevations have been established.

        Location of the insurable structure relative to the designated SFHA.

        A review to determine if a structure located in the SFHA may qualify for FEMA's issuance of a LOMA/LOMR.

        If a Post FIRM structure, verify compliance with federal and municipal floodplain management regulations.

        If non compliant, suggest possible mitigation measures which can positively affect flood insurance premium rates.

        If elevation rated for flood insurance, check for accuracy.