F.U.N. with Flood Control acronyms and vocabulary

LOMA - An ammendment to the currently effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps which establishes that a structure or area at natural grade is not located in a Special flood Hazard Area. SFHA. A LOMA is issued only by FEMA.

CLOMA - A conditional LOMA

LOMR - An amendment to the currently effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps. It is issued only by FEMA and changes flood zones, delineations, and elevations.

Topography - The configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made features.

Area Drainage Master Plan (ADMP) - A plan which provides flood control recommendations that reduce flood and erosion hazards. This plan is developed (by planners) through a process which includes: data collection, flood control alternatives formulation and evaluation, public involvement and information, alternative selection, and recommendations for implementation

Watercourse Master Plan - A hydraulic plan for a watercourse that examines the cumulative impacts of existing development and future encroachment in the flood plain and future development in the watershed on potential flood damages and/or erosion hazards, and establishes technical criteria for subsequent development so as to minimize potential flood damages for all flood events up to and including the 100-year flood.

APN - Assessors parcel number

Base flood elevation - The height of the base flood above ground level (in feel in relation to mean sea level). For the purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program, the base flood is the 100-year or 1% flood level.

Regulatory flood elevation - The minimum level at which a structure must be built (if not using wet flood-proofing) to comply with flood control regulations.

CFS - Cubic feet.per second. Used to quantify the amount of water that flows through a wash. 1 cfs = 7.5 gallons of water.

Cross-sections -  Depicts the shape of a watercourse where water flows. Determined by developing the topographic elevations along a line perpendicular to the flow of water. Used to calculate the water surface elevations.

Thalway - the center line of a river or waterway. Used to interpolate water surface elevations using cross-sections.

Hydrology - Refers to how much water is flowing.

Hydraulics - Refers to where the water is going to go.