FEMA 480 EXAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026

FEMA 480 EXAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026 What are the 3 most common types of flooding? - Answers Riverine, coastal, shallow Which type of flooding has accounted for the most flood-related deaths in recent history? - Answers Flash flooding What is a "meander?" - Answers It's a curve or turn in a river channel. What's the major cause of coastal flooding? - Answers Storm surge What causes a tsumani? - Answers Underwater earthquake or volcanoes List the five types of special flood hazards covered in this course. - Answers 1. Closed basin 2. Uncertain flow paths 3. Dam breaks 4. Ice Jams 5. Mudflows What 2 problems result from floodplain development? - Answers 1. Development alters the floodplain and the dynamics of flooding 2. Building and infrastructures are damaged by periodic flooding What does watershed development do to flooding? - Answers The increase in impervious surface results in increased runoff and higher flood levels. What is one of the problems with constructing seawalls to protect buildings from flooding or erosion? - Answers It can accelerate erosion on properties at the end of the wall. What are the five main causes of flood damage? - Answers 1. Hydrodynamic forces 2. Debris impact 3. Hydrostatic forces 4. Soaking 5. Sediment and contaminants Standing water as little as _____ feet deep can collapse the walls of a frame house. - Answers 3 What are some of the safety and health hazards that accompany floods? - Answers 1. Disruption of public utilities 2. Electrocution 3. Contamination of water supplies 4. Fire 5. Animal carcasses, garbage, and ponds can become breeding grounds for germs and mosquitoes 6. Mold, mildew, and bacteria that grow in damp, flooded areas 7. Contaminated air from dirty heating ducts 8. Stress and mental health problems Prior to the 1960's what was the primary way to reduce flood losses? - Answers Structural flood control projects What is the Unified National Program for Floodplain Management's definition of "floodplain management?" - Answers A decision-making process that aims to achieve the wise use of the nation's floodplains What are the two primary goals of floodplain management? - Answers 1. To reduce the loss of life, disruption, and damage caused by floods 2. To preserve and restore the natural resources and functions of floodplains What areas are conducive to flash flooding? - Answers 1. Hilly areas with steep slopes and narrow valleys 2. Urban areas with large amounts of impervious surfaces and storm sewers 3. Areas downstream of dams or subject to jams Is erosion only a threat in coastal areas? - Answers No. Riverine erosion can move through stream channels and undercut structures. What is "ponding?" - Answers Where storm water runoff collects in depressions and cannot drain out Are plants and animals the only beneficiaries of the "natural and beneficial functions" of flood plains? - Answers No. People benefit from floodplains through the food they provide, the recreational opportunities the afford, and the scientific knowledge gained in studying them. Floodplains also recharge ground water supplies and their filtering actions help improve water quality. What does filling in a floodplain do? - Answers Filling reduces the floodplain's ability to store excess water, sending more water downstream, and causing floods to rise to higher levels. Does moving sand and sand dunes affect flooding? - Answers Yes, it may remove a natural barrier that protects inland properties. Hydrodynamic forces are caused by _____ water and hydrostatic forces are caused by _____ water - Answers Moving, Standing List 3 materials or household items that are particularly susceptible to flood damage by soaking. - Answers 1. Wood 2. Gypsum wallboard 3. Furniture and upholstery 4. Carpeting 5. Mattresses 6. Books 7. Electrical appliances 8. Gasoline engines What are examples of non-structural flood protection measures? - Answers 1. Regulations to prohibit development in high-hazard areas 2. Building codes requiring flood-resistant construction for new buildings in flood-prone areas 3. Acquisition and relocation of buildings in high hazard areas 4. Modifying or retrofitting existing buildings 5. Installing flood warning systems 6. Controlling storm-water runoff 7. Providing self-help advice to property owners What are the Unified National Program for Floodplain Management's 4 main floodplain management strategies? - Answers 1. Modify human susceptibility to flood damage 2. Modify the impact of flooding 3. Modify flooding itself 4. Preserve and restore natural resources What are the objectives of the NFIP? - Answers The National Flood Insurance Act created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to: 1. Transfer the costs of private property flood losses from the taxpayers to floodplain property owners through flood insurance premiums 2. Provide floodplain residents and property owners with financial aid after floods, especially smaller floods that do not warrant federal disaster aid 3. Guide development away from flood hazard areas 4. Require that new and substantially improved buildings be constructed in ways that would minimize or prevent damage in a flood What are the 3 basic parts of the NFIP? - Answers 1. Mapping 2. Insurance 3. Regulations Who uses NFIP maps? - Answers 1. Communities, states, and federal agencies use them as the basis for regulating new flood-prone construction 2. Insurance agents use them when rating food insurance policies 3. Lenders and federal agencies use them to determine when flood insurance must be purchased as a condition of a loan or financial assistance What should happen to buildings in NFIP communities over time? - Answers Over time, exposure to flood damage should be reduced, as the older pre-FIRM buildings are replaced by post-FIRM buildings. Eventually a community should have only post-FIRM buildings subject to little or no flood damage. What types of government bodies are considered to be "communities" by the NFIP? - Answers These governmental bodies vary from state to state, but can include cities, towns, villages, townships, counties, parishes, special districts, states, and Indian nations with the statutory authority to enact and enforce regulations. What is the Write Your Own Program? - Answers An arrangement whereby private insurance companies write and service NFIP flood insurance policies under their own name. When a community applies to join the NFIP, what must it submit? - Answers A resolution of intent to "maintain in force ... adequate land use and control measures" and to cooperate with FEMA What are the sanctions if a community does not participate in the NFIP? - Answers 1. Flood insurance will not be available. No resident will be able to purchase a flood insurance policy through the NFIP. 2. If the community withdraws or is suspended, existing flood insurance will not be renewed. 3. No federal grants or loans for development may be made in the identified flood hazard areas under programs administered by federal agencies such as HUD, EPA, and SBA. 4. No federal disaster assistance may be provided to repair insurable buildings located in identified flood hazard areas for damage caused by a flood. 5. No federal mortgage insurance or loan guarantees may be provided in identified flood hazard areas. This includes policies written by FHA, VA, and others. 6. Federally insured or regulated lending institutions, such as banks and credit unions, must notify applicants seeking loans for insurable buildings in flood hazard areas that: a. there is a flood hazard and b. the property is not eligible for federal disaster relief Where does most of the money come from to pay the expenses of the NFIP? - Answers Premium income. The NFIP has been self-supporting since 1986. How many communities currently participate in the NFIP? - Answers More than 19,000 What is a pre-FIRM building? - Answers A building built before the effective date of the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map. Is there any relation between how a community regulates new construction an flood insurance rates? - Answers Yes. Buildings built in accordance with the community's regulations have a lower risk of flooding and can be insured at lower rates. List 2 things your community committed itself to when it joined the NFIP. - Answers 1. Issuing or denying floodplain development/building permits 2. Inspecting all development to assure compliance with the local ordinance 3. Maintaining records of floodplain development 4. Assisting in the preparation and revision of floodplain maps 5. Helping residents obtain information on flood hazards, floodplain map data, flood insurance, and proper construction measures True/False Insurance companies set flood insurance rates and coverage rules. - Answers False. Flood insurance rates and coverage rules are set by FEMA's Federal Insurance Administration. What can FEMA do to encourage a community to adequately enforce its floodplain management regulations? - Answers 1. If the community is in the Community Rating , it can reclassify it to a Class 10 (no insurance premium discount). 2. The community can be put on probation. 3. The community can be suspended. What are the sanctions if a community is suspended from the NFIP? - Answers The same as for non-participation: 1. Flood insurance will not be available. No resident will be able to purchase a flood insurance policy through the NFIP. 2. If the community withdraws or is suspended, existing flood insurance will not be renewed. 3. No federal grants or loans for development may be made in the identified flood hazard areas under programs administered by federal agencies such as HUD, EPA, and SBA. 4. No federal disaster assistance may be provided to repair insurable buildings located in identified flood hazard areas for damage caused by a flood. 5. No federal mortgage insurance or loan guarantees may be provided in identified flood hazard areas. This includes policies written by FHA, VA, and others. 6. Federally insured or regulated lending institutions, such as banks and credit unions, must notify applicants seeking loans for insurable buildings in flood hazard areas that: a. there is a flood hazard and b. the property is not eligible for federal disaster relief Suspension means the community is no longer a participant in the NFIP. As directed in the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, FEMA conducts flood studies in order to determine _____ and _____. - Answers flood-prone areas, flood risk zones The base flood is a flood that has a ______ of occurring in in any year - Answers one percent chance The base flood is also called the _____ year flood. - Answers 100 On NFIP maps, the 100-year floodplain is called the _____ _____ _____ _____. - Answers special flood hazard area BFE - Answers Base Flood Elevation What are the components of a Flood Insurance Study? - Answers 1. The FIS - Flood Insurance Study report 2. The FIRM - Flood Insurance Rate Map 3. The Flood Boundary and Floodway Map, which is included in studies prepared before 1986 (Since 1986, floodways are shown on the FIRM) For purposes of a riverine flood study, _____ is the study of the distribution and circulation of water in the environment, and _____ is the study of fluids in motion and how water will flow through the channel. - Answers hydrology, hydraulics The rate at which runoff flows downstream is called the flood _____. - Answers discharge What probable effect does increase in urbanization within a community or upstream of it have on the stream discharges within that community? - Answers Stream discharges usually will increase as a consequence to the increase in urbanization within a community or upstream of it. What consequences on flood water level of a stream would usually occur when a bridge is constructed over a stream? - Answers A hydraulic analysis is always required to determine the effect of any bridge construction over a stream. However, construction over a stream is considered an obstruction to the flow and therefore may increase the flood water level upstream of the construction. To locate the true elevation at a site, surveyors have established _____ _____ marks also known as _____ marks. - Answers elevation reference, bench Cross sections describe the _____ of the floodplain. - Answers shape Flood profiles are developed by plotting the flood elevations at the _____ _____and connecting the plotted points. - Answers cross sections To make a floodplain map, the base flood elevations are plotted on a _____ map or a _____ map. - Answers topographic, contour The _____ is defined as the stream channel and that portion of the adjacent floodplain that must remain open to permit passage of the base flood. - Answers floodway A floodway analysis conducted to the minimum NFIP standard allows the fringe to be obstructed until the base flood level is increase by how much? - Answers 1 foot What causes a storm surge? - Answers Storms that bring air pressure changes and strong winds that pile water up against the shore. What is wave runup? - Answers When waves hit the shore, water moves with such force that it keeps traveling inland higher than the stillwater flood level. Instead of cross sections, coastal flood engineers survey _____ . - Answers transects The BFEs for coastal studies are the _____ _____ plus the _____ _____. - Answers stillwater elevations, wave runup The most hazardous part of the coastal floodplain is the _____ ______ ______ area, which is shown on the map as a _____ Zone. - Answers coastal high hazard, V What differentiates shallow flooding from riverine flooding? - Answers Shallow flooding is distinguishable from riverine or coastal flooding because if occurs in areas where there is no channel or identifiable flow path. Flood studies that do not identify BFEs are call _____ _____. - Answers approximate studies Prior to 1986, the maps published with an FIS are the _____ and the _____. Since 1986, the map published with an FIS is the ______ - Answers old format FIRM, FBFM (Floodway Map), new format FIRM What does an elevation reference mark look like on a FIRM? - Answers Locations are identified with a small "x" and the designation "ERM" or "RM" followed by a number What is an AO zone? - Answers The area subject to sheet flow, ponding, or shallow flooding. How is a floodway shown on the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map? - Answers It's the white area adjacent to and including the channel. How is floodway shown on new format FIRM? - Answers It is a shaded area with diagonal lines. A Zone C on an old format FIRM is shown as a Zone _____ on the newer format FIRM. - Answers X CBRA - Answers Coastal Barriers Resources Act What communities' floodplains are shown on a countywide FIRM? - Answers All communities in the county, even those currently not in the NFIP. Floodways are shown along the ____________ toe of a levee on the FIRM. - Answers landside Area behind recognized levees are designated as _____ _____. - Answers Shaded Zone X the base flood elevation is the elevation of the _____-year flood or the _____ % annual chance flood. - Answers 100. 1 The Special Flood Hazard Area or SFHA is how the ______ ______ floodplain is shown on FEMA maps. - Answers base flood The SFHA is shown on the FIRM as a Zone that begins with the letter ______ or ______. - Answers A, V List 3 things that a FIRM is used to determine. - Answers 1. Whether a property is in the floodplain 2. The flood insurance zone that applies to a property 3. The approximate BFE at the site ______ is the study of a watershed's behavior during and after a storm. - Answers Hydrology Surveyors reference elevation to a common _____. - Answers datum Most permanent FIS elevation reference marks are referenced to what datum? - Answers National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) A hydraulic study uses the hydrology, cross-section information, and stream characteristics to determine the flood _____. - Answers elevations (also velocities and floodplain widths) Cross sections are shown on which map? - Answers Floodway Map, New format FIRM Flood profiles are used to determine what? - Answers Flood elevations along a river or stream between cross sections In riverine situations, the floodplain is divided into 2 separate parts for floodplain management purposes. These parts are the ______ and the _____. - Answers floodway, flood fringe Based on the minimum NFIP standard, if the flood fringe were completely filled, how high could the base flood elevation go up? - Answers 1 foot What FIRM zone have wave heights greater than 3 feet? - Answers v Zone Instead of using a base flood elevation, some shallow flooding areas are defined using a base flood _____. - Answers depth An approximate study shows the base _______ but does not show the base flood ______. - Answers floodplain, elevation How many digits are there in the NFIP community identification number? - Answers They always have 6 digits. This is important to avoid confusion with the five-digit countywide FIRM number. The community identification number does not include the panel number and other numbers that appear near it on the FIRM title block. What is an AH Zone? - Answers Shallow flooding base floodplain with base flood elevation What was the problem with the way the floodway was shown on the old format Flood Boundary and Floodway Maps? - Answers The white area looked like it was a C Zone outside the floodplain. Also, people who had only a FIRM did not know of the floodway hazard. The new FIRMs include: - Answers 1. Floodways and floodplain management information 2. Simplified flood insurance zones Do Q3 Flood Data show base flood elevations if they are available? - Answers No. The are designed primarily to determine if a property is in or out of the SFHA. What publication has the NFIP requirements for communities? - Answers Chapter 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations Most of the requirements relative to your community's ordinance are in 44 CFR Parts _____ and _____. - Answers 59, 60 Which part of 44 CFR 60.3 covers the requirements for areas with a FIRM, but no base flood elevations? - Answers 44 CFR 60.3 (b) What is "Basic Rule #1" for using maps and data? - Answers You must use the latest maps and flood data published by FEMA. What map do you use if recently annexed areas do not show up on your community's FIRM? - Answers The FIRM for the county or the community the property used to be in. It is important to note that the community generally must also adapt the map in its ordinance to be legally enforceable. If you find information that show the ground to be higher than the BFE, can a bank use that data when determining whether a flood insurance policy must be purchased? - Answers No. Insurance agents and lenders must use the current FIRM when setting insurance rates and determining whether flood insurance is required. If a person wants to vary from the currents FIRM to obtain different premium rates or to not have to purchase a flood insurance policy, the FIRM must be officially revised or amended. This can be done through a LOMA. Site E is in the approximate A Zone of Dean Lake. A developer wants to build a small commercial building on a 3 acre site. Where do you get a base flood elevation for site E? - Answers 1. Check with your state NFIP coordinator, local water-related districts, the Corps of Engineers, etc. to see if there are any existing studies. 2. It is possible that the highway agency did a study of the stream when the Turnpike bridge was built. 3. See if the Town Engineer or developer's engineer will conduct a study. 4. Use the flood of record plus a margin of protection. A developer downstream of Dean Lake wants to build a 40 acre subdivision that crosses Ireland Creek. You need a base flood elevation before you review the plans. What options do you tell the developer he has? - Answers 1. He can conduct a flood study and produce the BFEs at his expense. 2. He can set the A Zone aside as open space and not conduct a flood study. A restudy was performed on the Josias River. The preliminary study will not be final for another five months. Is shows a new BFE at Site N that is 2 feet higher that the BFE in your current FIS. Which one do you use to determine the flood protection level for a new home at Site N? - Answers The draft revised data should be used unless the community disagrees with the data and intends to appeal it. As noted previously, the community must first legally adopt the preliminary study in their ordinance. What is basic rule #2 on what needs a permit in the floodplain? - Answers A permit is required for all development in the SFHA. The state in which Flood County is situated requires a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection for development on primary sand dunes. A permit applicant wants to build on one near Site F. Department staff informs you that based on the plans they have seen, they will have to deny the state permit. Should the Flood County permit officer issue a floodplain development permit? - Answers No. The local permit should not be issued until staff are certain that the other agencies' requirements are met. If it is just a question of time and a state permit is expected to be issued, a local permit could be issued conditioned on obtaining a state permit. However, if it is clear that the project violates the state regulations, a local permit should not be issued until the matter is settled. What is basic rule #3 as it relates to encroachments in riverine floodplains? - Answers Development must not increase the flood hazard on other properties. An encroachment review should review projects in a floodway for what 2 things? - Answers 1. You must determine whether the project will obstruct flood flows and cause an increase in flood heights upstream or adjacent to the project site 2. You should determine whether the project will result in increases in down-stream flooding by removing an existing obstruction.. While you are not required to do this by NFIP minimum requirements, these changes can cumulatively cause significant increases in downstream flooding. A farmer wants to build a dairy barn in the floodway. Will he need to provide you with a "no-rise" certification before you can issue the permit? - Answers Yes A farmer wants to build a small addition onto his farmhouse (in the floodway). Can this be designed so he won't have to pay for an engineer's encroachment review? - Answers Yes. If it is located in the conveyance shadow of the farmhouse. In a riverine AE Zone with a base flood elevation, what must a developer show in order to demonstrate that he is meeting Basic Rule #3? - Answers He must conduct an encroachment review that demonstrates that the cumulative effect of the proposed development, when combined with all other existing and anticipated development: 1. Will not increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more that 1 foot at any point within the community 2. Is consistent with the technical criteria contained in Chapter 5 (Hydraulic Analyses) of the Flood Insurance Study: Guidelines and Specifications for Study Contractors, FEMA-37, 1995 What does Basic Rule #4 say about new buildings in A Zone? - Answers New, substantially improved or substantially damaged buildings must be protected from damage by the base flood. Where would elevation on piles or columns be preferred? - Answers In areas where flooding is likely to have high velocities or waves. Can a basement be considered the "lowest floor?" - Answers Yes If a residence is elevated above the BFE in an A Zone, where do you measure how high the building is? - Answers At the top of the lowest floor What can be allowed under the lowest floor of an elevated building? - Answers Only building access, vehicle parking, and storage Mrs. Smith is elevating a house in the AE Zone 8' above grade. How can you make sure that the area below the lowest floor won't be improved, finished, or otherwise turned into living space? - Answers Require that the lower area must be kept open or require the owner to sign a nonconversion agreement (requiring large openings will also help) What 3 things do you need to check for to ensure that a building is floodproofed? - Answers Below the BFE: 1. Wall are watertight (substantially impermeable to the passage of water) 2. Structural components can resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy 3. Utilities are protected from flood damage Can a new home in the flood fringe be floodproofed? - Answers No. Elevation is the only method allowed from new residential buildings in the SFHA. What's the NFIP definition of "basement?" - Answers "Basement" means any area of the building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides. If a building is proposed to be located in a riverine floodplain with flood velocities of 8-10 per second, what should you ask the builder to provide to assure you that the building won't get washed away during a flood? - Answers A statement from an architect or engineer that the design of the building includes "anchoring adequate to prevent flotation, collapse, and lateral movement" during the base flood. These are hazardous velocities and you should discourage development in these areas. The builder of a house to be elevated on concrete columns wants to uses wood for the stairway. He is concerned that wood will swell and warp if it gets wet during the flood. Can a portion of the of the house below the BFE be built of wood? - Answers Yes, provided it is pressure treated (.40 CCA minimum), naturally decay resistant lumber or marine grade plywood. How is a manufactured home outside of a manufactured home park treated differently from a conventional "stick built" home? - Answers They are both treated the same. They must meet the same construction and elevation requirements. How is a 600 square foot motor home that is permanently attached to a reinforced block wall foundation treated differently from a manufactured home? - Answers They are both treated the same. They must meet the same construction and elevation requirements. What does Basic rule #5 say about new buildings in V Zones? - Answers There are special building requirements in addition to the building protection requirements for buildings in A Zones. Can a new building be built in the V Zone elevated on a crawlspace? - Answers No. It can only be elevated on pilings, posts, piers, or columns to avoid obstructions to the wave action. Where is the lowest floor measured in a V Zone? - Answers At the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member. What does the permit official do to be sure that a V Zone building will be adequate to resist the wind and water loads? - Answers Have an engineer certify that the design and planned methods of construction are in accordance with accepted standards of practice to resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement due to the effects of wind and water loads acting simultaneously on all building components. What's the best way to deal with sand dunes in a V Zone development site? - Answers Don't touch them. They provide important flood protection by breaking waves during coastal storms, If they are to be disturbed, the permit application should have an engineer's or geologist's report that their removal will not increase flood damage. If a subdivider makes sure that all building sites are above the BFE, does he need to do anything more to meet the NFIP requirements? - Answers The subdivider also needs to make sure that: 1. All public utilities and facilities, such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems, are located and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damage 2. Adequate drainage is provided to reduce exposure to flood hazards How can you protect a sewer system from flooding? - Answers Through careful system design. Manholes should be raised above the 100-year flood level or equipment with seals to prevent leakage. Pumping stations should have electrical panels elevated above the BFE. In what part of the Code of Federal Regulations would you find the definition for "development?" - Answers 44 CFR 59.1 Definitions Where do I find the NFIP requirements fro areas mapped with V Zones? - Answers 44 CFR 60.3 (e) If a community has a FIRM that shows floodways and V Zones, which parts of 44 CFR 60.3 must it abide by? - Answers All parts up through 60.3 (e) If your community follows the requirements of 44 CFR 60.3 (d), does it have to worry about what's in 44 CFR 60.3 (b)? - Answers Yes. The requirements are cumulative in Section 60.3 A building official finds it easier to read an old flood map prepared on an aerial photograph by the Corps of Engineers. He doesn't want to use the current FIRM because it doesn't show all the buildings and features the photograph does. Can he make permit decisions based on the Corps map instead of the FIRM? - Answers No. The community must use the latest maps and data provided by FEMA. If the other map shows higher BFE and a larger floodplain, the community may adopt it in its ordinance as the regulatory floodplain and exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. The map must be approved by the FEMA Regional Office before this is done. A developer wants to build in an area mapped approximate Zone A on Ireland Creek. He conducts a detailed flood study which is approved by the Town Engineer. It shows that several lots in the A Zone are actually higher than the BFE calculated in the study. Can you issue permits for building on those sites and treat them as C Zone sites? - Answers Yes, as long as the Town Engineer assures you that the developer's study: 1. Reasonably reflects flooding conditions expected during the base flood 2. Is technically correct 3. Represents the best data available A developer wants to build in an area mapped approximate Zone A on Ireland Creek. He conducts a detailed flood study which is approved by the Town Engineer. It shows that several lots in the A Zone are actually higher than the BFE calculated in the study. Will the buyers of the properties have to buy flood insurance policies? - Answers Yes, unless a map amendment or Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) is issued by FEMA Joe Hunter wants to build a small hunting cabin on a lake in an approximate A Zone. It will be the only building within 2 miles. There are no known sources of a base flood elevation. The cabin will cost less than $10,000 and he does not want to pay $2,000 for an engineering study to develop a BFE. What can you do to make sure the property is protected from flooding? - Answers Require that the lowest floor of the cabin be at lease 5 feet above grade. Will a developer in an approximate A Zone have to prepare a detailed study to calculate base flood elevations if the development is: 1. 4 acres? 2. 60 lots? 3. Reserving all the SFHA as open space? - Answers 1. No 2. Yes 3. No