CERTIFIED FLOODPLAIN MANAGER
(CFM) EXAM QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS(RATED A+)
Types of floodplains - ANSWERRiverine, coastal, and shallow
Watershed - ANSWERarea that drains into a lake, stream, or body of water. Also
called basin or catchment area.
Channel - ANSWERGround features that carry water through and out of a watershed
Riverine Flooding - ANSWERflooding that occurs along a channel
Flash flooding - ANSWERflooding that occurs in hilly and mountainous areas that
may come scant minutes after a heavy rainfall. One can also occur in urban areas
where pavements and drainage improvements speed runoff to a stream.
Overbank Flooding - ANSWERThe most common type flooding in the US. It occurs
when downstream channels receive more rain or snowmelt than normal, or a
channel is blocked by ice or debris. Excess water overloads the channels and flows
out onto the floodplain
Velocity - ANSWEROne measure of a flood is the speed of moving water. Measured
in feet per second
Thalweg - ANSWERThe channel bottom
Meander - ANSWERa curve in the channel. The outside bank of the meander is
subject to erosion, the inside bank is subject to deposits
Accrete - ANSWERto build up a shoreline by depositing sand, either by nature or
human actions
Actual Cash Value - ANSWERThe replacement cost for a building, minus a
depreciation percentage based on age and condition.
Alluvial Fan - ANSWERAn area at the base of a valley where the slope flattens out,
allowing the floodwater to decrease in speed and spread out, dropping sediment and
rock over a fan-shaped area.
Amendment - ANSWERA change to a FEMA floodplain map that removes an area
that was inadvertently included in the Special Flood Hazard Area
Approximate studies - ANSWERFlood hazard mapping done using approximate
study methods that show the approximate outline of the base floodplain. An
approximate study does not produce a base flood elevation.
, Base Flood Depth - ANSWERA measurement of the base flood in feet above
ground, used for shallow flooding
Basement - ANSWERAny area of the building having its flood subgrade (below
ground level) on all sides
Base floodplain - ANSWERthe area of water and land inundated by the base flood
Basin - ANSWERAlso known as a Watershed, an area that drains into a lake, stream
or other body of water.
Bathymetry - ANSWERThe measurement of depths of water in the ocean or lakes
Bench marks - ANSWERMonuments on the ground that show the elevation of the
spot above sea level. Also called Elevation Reference Marks.
Building - ANSWERA walled and roofed structure including a gas or liquid storage
tank that is principally above ground as well as a manufactured home. Also known
as structure
Building Condition Survey - ANSWERA windshield survey conducted to obtain a
preliminary evaluation of the extent and severity of damage to buildings after a
disaster
CAP - ANSWERCommunity Assistance Program
Cfs - ANSWERcubic feet per second, the unit by which discharges are measured (A
cubic foot of water is about 7.5 gallons)
CLOMA - ANSWERConditional Letter of Map Amendment
CLOMR - ANSWERConditional Letter Of Map Revision
Closed Basin Lake - ANSWERA lake that has either no outlet or relatively small one,
where rainfall or groundwater can cause the lake's level to ride faster than it can
drain
Coastal high hazard area - ANSWERthe part of the coastal floodplain extending from
offshore to the inland limit of the primary coastal dune along an open coast and any
other area subject to high velocity wave action from storms and seismic sources.
Wave heights during the base flood will generally be three feet or more in height
above the stillwater elevation
Damage Survey Report - ANSWERA form completed by disaster assistance staff to
determine the repair and reconstruction needs of public and private nonprofit
facilities
Datum - ANSWERA common vertical elevation reference point, usually in relation to
sea level
(CFM) EXAM QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS(RATED A+)
Types of floodplains - ANSWERRiverine, coastal, and shallow
Watershed - ANSWERarea that drains into a lake, stream, or body of water. Also
called basin or catchment area.
Channel - ANSWERGround features that carry water through and out of a watershed
Riverine Flooding - ANSWERflooding that occurs along a channel
Flash flooding - ANSWERflooding that occurs in hilly and mountainous areas that
may come scant minutes after a heavy rainfall. One can also occur in urban areas
where pavements and drainage improvements speed runoff to a stream.
Overbank Flooding - ANSWERThe most common type flooding in the US. It occurs
when downstream channels receive more rain or snowmelt than normal, or a
channel is blocked by ice or debris. Excess water overloads the channels and flows
out onto the floodplain
Velocity - ANSWEROne measure of a flood is the speed of moving water. Measured
in feet per second
Thalweg - ANSWERThe channel bottom
Meander - ANSWERa curve in the channel. The outside bank of the meander is
subject to erosion, the inside bank is subject to deposits
Accrete - ANSWERto build up a shoreline by depositing sand, either by nature or
human actions
Actual Cash Value - ANSWERThe replacement cost for a building, minus a
depreciation percentage based on age and condition.
Alluvial Fan - ANSWERAn area at the base of a valley where the slope flattens out,
allowing the floodwater to decrease in speed and spread out, dropping sediment and
rock over a fan-shaped area.
Amendment - ANSWERA change to a FEMA floodplain map that removes an area
that was inadvertently included in the Special Flood Hazard Area
Approximate studies - ANSWERFlood hazard mapping done using approximate
study methods that show the approximate outline of the base floodplain. An
approximate study does not produce a base flood elevation.
, Base Flood Depth - ANSWERA measurement of the base flood in feet above
ground, used for shallow flooding
Basement - ANSWERAny area of the building having its flood subgrade (below
ground level) on all sides
Base floodplain - ANSWERthe area of water and land inundated by the base flood
Basin - ANSWERAlso known as a Watershed, an area that drains into a lake, stream
or other body of water.
Bathymetry - ANSWERThe measurement of depths of water in the ocean or lakes
Bench marks - ANSWERMonuments on the ground that show the elevation of the
spot above sea level. Also called Elevation Reference Marks.
Building - ANSWERA walled and roofed structure including a gas or liquid storage
tank that is principally above ground as well as a manufactured home. Also known
as structure
Building Condition Survey - ANSWERA windshield survey conducted to obtain a
preliminary evaluation of the extent and severity of damage to buildings after a
disaster
CAP - ANSWERCommunity Assistance Program
Cfs - ANSWERcubic feet per second, the unit by which discharges are measured (A
cubic foot of water is about 7.5 gallons)
CLOMA - ANSWERConditional Letter of Map Amendment
CLOMR - ANSWERConditional Letter Of Map Revision
Closed Basin Lake - ANSWERA lake that has either no outlet or relatively small one,
where rainfall or groundwater can cause the lake's level to ride faster than it can
drain
Coastal high hazard area - ANSWERthe part of the coastal floodplain extending from
offshore to the inland limit of the primary coastal dune along an open coast and any
other area subject to high velocity wave action from storms and seismic sources.
Wave heights during the base flood will generally be three feet or more in height
above the stillwater elevation
Damage Survey Report - ANSWERA form completed by disaster assistance staff to
determine the repair and reconstruction needs of public and private nonprofit
facilities
Datum - ANSWERA common vertical elevation reference point, usually in relation to
sea level
