CERTIFIED FLOODPLAIN
MANAGER (CFM) EXAM 2025
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Types of floodplains - ....ANSWER ...-Riverine, coastal, and
shallow
Watershed - ....ANSWER ...-area that drains into a lake, stream, or
body of water. Also called basin or catchment area.
Channel - ....ANSWER ...-Ground features that carry water
through and out of a watershed
Riverine Flooding - ....ANSWER ...-flooding that occurs along a
channel
Flash flooding - ....ANSWER ...-flooding that occurs in hilly and
mountainous areas that may come scant minutes after a heavy rainfall.
...COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025... ALL RIGHTS RESERVED... 1
,One can also occur in urban areas where pavements and drainage
improvements speed runoff to a stream.
Overbank Flooding - ....ANSWER ...-The 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 - ....ANSWER ...-One measure of a flood is the speed of
moving water. Measured in feet per second
Thalweg - ....ANSWER ...-The channel bottom
Meander - ....ANSWER ...-a curve in the channel. The outside
bank of the meander is subject to erosion, the inside bank is subject to
deposits
Accrete - ....ANSWER ...-to build up a shoreline by depositing
sand, either by nature or human actions
Actual Cash Value - ....ANSWER ...-The replacement cost for a
building, minus a depreciation percentage based on age and condition.
...COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025... ALL RIGHTS RESERVED... 2
, Alluvial Fan - ....ANSWER ...-An 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 - ....ANSWER ...-A change to a FEMA floodplain
map that removes an area that was inadvertently included in the Special
Flood Hazard Area
Approximate studies - ....ANSWER ...-Flood 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 - ....ANSWER ...-A measurement of the base
flood in feet above ground, used for shallow flooding
Basement - ....ANSWER ...-Any area of the building having its
flood subgrade (below ground level) on all sides
Base floodplain - ....ANSWER ...-the area of water and land
inundated by the base flood
...COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025... ALL RIGHTS RESERVED... 3
MANAGER (CFM) EXAM 2025
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Types of floodplains - ....ANSWER ...-Riverine, coastal, and
shallow
Watershed - ....ANSWER ...-area that drains into a lake, stream, or
body of water. Also called basin or catchment area.
Channel - ....ANSWER ...-Ground features that carry water
through and out of a watershed
Riverine Flooding - ....ANSWER ...-flooding that occurs along a
channel
Flash flooding - ....ANSWER ...-flooding that occurs in hilly and
mountainous areas that may come scant minutes after a heavy rainfall.
...COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025... ALL RIGHTS RESERVED... 1
,One can also occur in urban areas where pavements and drainage
improvements speed runoff to a stream.
Overbank Flooding - ....ANSWER ...-The 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 - ....ANSWER ...-One measure of a flood is the speed of
moving water. Measured in feet per second
Thalweg - ....ANSWER ...-The channel bottom
Meander - ....ANSWER ...-a curve in the channel. The outside
bank of the meander is subject to erosion, the inside bank is subject to
deposits
Accrete - ....ANSWER ...-to build up a shoreline by depositing
sand, either by nature or human actions
Actual Cash Value - ....ANSWER ...-The replacement cost for a
building, minus a depreciation percentage based on age and condition.
...COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025... ALL RIGHTS RESERVED... 2
, Alluvial Fan - ....ANSWER ...-An 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 - ....ANSWER ...-A change to a FEMA floodplain
map that removes an area that was inadvertently included in the Special
Flood Hazard Area
Approximate studies - ....ANSWER ...-Flood 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 - ....ANSWER ...-A measurement of the base
flood in feet above ground, used for shallow flooding
Basement - ....ANSWER ...-Any area of the building having its
flood subgrade (below ground level) on all sides
Base floodplain - ....ANSWER ...-the area of water and land
inundated by the base flood
...COPYRIGHT ©️ 2025... ALL RIGHTS RESERVED... 3
