Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in these regulations shall be interpreted to have the meanings they have in common usage and to give these regulations the most reasonable application.
A building or structure on the same lot with, and of a nature customarily incidental and subordinate to, the principal structure. For the purposes of these regulations, an accessory structure shall be used solely for parking of vehicles and limited storage.
A form on which the applicant for a permit to construct a building or structure, to construct certain horizontal additions, to place or replace a manufactured home, or to substantially improve a building, structure, or manufactured home agrees to have an elevation certificate prepared by a licensed professional engineer or licensed professional surveyor, as specified by the floodplain administrator, and to submit the certificate:
For the purpose of these regulations, alteration of a watercourse includes, but is not limited to, widening, deepening or relocating the channel, including excavation or filling of the channel. Alteration of a watercourse does not include construction of a road, bridge, culvert, dam, or in-stream pond unless the channel is proposed to be realigned or relocated as part of such construction.
A designated Zone AO on the Flood Insurance Rate Map, with a one-percent annual chance or greater of flooding to an average depth of one to three feet, where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable, and where velocity flow may be evident; such flooding is characterized by ponding or sheet flow.
The building to which an addition is being added. This term is used in provisions relating to additions.
The flood having a one-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year; the base flood also is referred to as the "one-percent annual chance (one-hundred-year) flood."
The water surface elevation of the base flood in relation to the datum specified on the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map. In areas of shallow flooding, the base flood elevation is the highest adjacent natural grade elevation plus the depth number specified in feet on the Flood Insurance Rate Map, or at least four feet if the depth number is not specified.
Any area of the building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
The effective Maryland Building Performance Standards (COMAR 05.02.07), including the building code, residential code, and existing building code.
A political subdivision of the State of Maryland (county, city or town) that has authority to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations within its jurisdictional boundaries.
Buildings and other structures that are intended to remain operational in the event of extreme environmental loading from flood, wind, snow or earthquakes. [Note: See Maryland Building Performance Standards, Section 1602 and Table 1604.5.] Critical and essential facilities typically include hospitals, fire stations, police stations, storage of critical records, facilities that handle or store hazardous materials, and similar facilities.
A form signed by the owner to agree not to convert or modify in any manner that is inconsistent with the terms of the permit and these regulations, certain enclosures below the lowest floor of elevated buildings and certain accessory structures. The form requires the owner to record it on the property deed to inform future owners of the restrictions.
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, placement of manufactured homes, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations, or storage of equipment or materials.
A FEMA form on which surveyed elevations and other data pertinent to a property and a building are identified and which shall be completed by a licensed professional land surveyor or a licensed professional engineer, as specified by the floodplain administrator. When used to document the height above grade of buildings in special flood hazard areas for which base flood elevation data are not available, the elevation certificate shall be completed in accordance with the instructions issued by FEMA. [Note: FEMA Form 086-0-33 and instructions are available online at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1383.]
An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure that is located below an elevated building, is surrounded by walls on all sides, and is usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage, in an area other than a basement area, provided that such enclosure is built in accordance with the applicable design requirements specified in these regulations. Also see "lowest floor."
The federal agency with the overall responsibility for administering the National Flood Insurance Program.
Any construction material that is capable of withstanding direct and prolonged contact with floodwaters without sustaining any damage that requires more than cosmetic repair. [Note: See NFIP Technical Bulletin No. 2, "Flood-Damage-Resistant Materials Requirements."]
An official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated special flood hazard areas to indicate the magnitude and nature of flood hazards, to designate applicable flood zones, and to delineate floodways, if applicable. FIRMs that have been prepared in digital format or converted to digital format are referred to as "digital FIRMs (DFIRM)."
The official report in which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided flood profiles, floodway information, and the water surface elevations.
A flood opening (nonengineered) is an opening that is used to meet the prescriptive requirement of one square inch of net open area for every square foot of enclosed area. An engineered flood opening is an opening that is designed and certified by a licensed professional engineer or licensed architect as meeting certain performance characteristics, including providing automatic entry and exit of floodwaters; this certification requirement may be satisfied by an individual certification for a specific structure or issuance of an evaluation report by the ICC Evaluation Service, Inc. [Note: See NFIP Technical Bulletin No. 1, "Openings in Foundation Walls and Walls of Enclosures."]
A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source (see definition of "flood" or "flooding").
A FEMA form that is to be completed, signed and sealed by a licensed professional engineer or licensed architect to certify that the design of floodproofing and proposed methods of construction are in accordance with the applicable requirements of § 89-37B of these regulations. [Note: FEMA Form 086-0-34 is available online at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1600.]
Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to buildings or structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents, such that the buildings or structures are watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and with structural components having the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy. [Note: State regulations at COMAR 26.17.04.11(B)(7) do not allow new nonresidential buildings in nontidal waters of the state to be floodproofed.]
The base flood elevation plus two feet of freeboard. Freeboard is a factor of safety that compensates for uncertainty in factors that could contribute to flood heights greater than the height calculated for a selected size flood and floodway conditions, such as wave action, obstructed bridge openings, debris and ice jams, climate change, and the hydrologic effect of urbanization in a watershed.
A distance measured perpendicular to the top of bank of a watercourse that delineates an area to be left undisturbed to minimize future flood damage and to recognize the potential for bank erosion. Along nontidal waters of the state, the flood protection setback is:
The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to pass the base flood discharge such that the cumulative increase in the water surface elevation of the base flood discharge is no more than a designated height. When shown on a FIRM, the floodway is referred to as the "designated floodway."
A designation for areas that are shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps:
Zone A: special flood hazard areas subject to inundation by the one-percent annual chance one-hundred-year) flood; base flood elevations are not determined.
Zone AE and Zones A1-30: special flood hazard areas subject to inundation by the one-percent annual chance (one-hundred-year) flood; base flood elevations are determined; floodways may or may not be determined. In areas subject to tidal flooding, the limit of moderate wave action may or may not be delineated.
Zone AH and Zone AO: areas of shallow flooding, with flood depths of one to three feet (usually areas of ponding or sheet flow on sloping terrain), with or without BFEs or designated flood depths.
Zone B and Zone X (shaded): areas subject to inundation by the two-tenths-percent annual chance (five-hundred-year) flood; areas subject to the one-percent annual chance (one-hundred-year) flood with average depths of less than one foot or with contributing drainage area less than one square mile; and areas protected from the base flood by levees.
Zone C and Zone X (unshaded): areas outside of zones designated A, AE, A1-30, AO, VE, V1-30, B, and X (shaded).
Zone VE and Zones V1-30: special flood hazard areas subject to inundation by the one-percent annual chance (one-hundred-year) flood and subject to high-velocity wave action.
A term that describes the open foundations (pilings, columns, or piers) without attached elements or foundation components that would obstruct the free passage of floodwaters and waves beneath structures that are elevated on such foundations.
A use which cannot perform its intended purpose unless it is located or carried out in close proximity to water; the term includes only docking facilities, port facilities that are necessary for the loading and unloading of cargo or passengers, and ship building and ship repair facilities, but does not include long-term storage or related manufacturing facilities.
The highest natural elevation of the ground surface, prior to construction, next to the proposed foundation of a structure.
Any structure that is:
Individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the United States Department of the Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;
Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district; or
Individually listed on the Maryland Register of Historic Places.
Analyses performed by a licensed professional engineer, in accordance with standard engineering practices that are accepted by the Maryland Department of the Environment (Nontidal Wetlands and Waterways) and FEMA, used to determine the base flood, other frequency floods, flood elevations, floodway information and boundaries, and flood profiles.
An official FEMA determination, by letter, that amends or revises an effective Flood Insurance Rate Map or Flood Insurance Study. Letters of map change include:
Letter of map amendment (LOMA): an amendment based on technical data showing that a property was incorrectly included in a designated special flood hazard area. A LOMA amends the current effective Flood Insurance Rate Map and establishes that a specific property or structure is not located in a special flood hazard area.
Letter of map revision (LOMR): a revision based on technical data that may show changes to flood zones, flood elevations, floodplain and floodway delineations, and planimetric features. A letter of map revision based on fill (LOMR-F) is a determination that a structure or parcel of land has been elevated by fill above the base flood elevation and is, therefore, no longer exposed to flooding associated with the base flood. In order to qualify for this determination, the fill must have been permitted and placed in accordance with the community's floodplain management regulations.
Conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR): a formal review and comment as to whether a proposed flood protection project or other project complies with the minimum NFIP requirements for such projects with respect to delineation of special flood hazard areas. A conditional letter of map revision based on fill (CLOMR-F) is a determination that a parcel of land or proposed structure that will be elevated by fill would not be inundated by the base flood if fill is placed on the parcel as proposed or the structure is built as proposed. A CLOMR does not revise the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map or Flood Insurance Study; upon submission and approval of certified as-built documentation, a letter of map revision may be issued by FEMA to revise the effective FIRM.
As used in these regulations, licensed refers to professionals who are authorized to practice in the State of Maryland by issuance of licenses by the Maryland Board of Architects, Maryland Board of Professional Engineers, Maryland Board of Professional Land Surveyors, and the Maryland Real Estate Appraisers and Home Inspectors Commission.
The inland limit of the area affected by waves greater than 1.5 feet during the base flood. Base flood conditions between the VE Zone and the LiMWA will be similar to, but less severe than, those in the VE Zone.
The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement) of a building or structure; the floor of an enclosure below the lowest floor is not the lowest floor, provided the enclosure is constructed in accordance with these regulations. The lowest floor of a manufactured home is the bottom of the lowest horizontal supporting member (longitudinal chassis frame beam).
A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The term "manufactured home" does not include a recreational vehicle.
The price at which a property will change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither party being under compulsion to buy or sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts. For the purposes of these regulations, the market value of a building is determined by a licensed real estate appraiser or the most-recent, full phased-in assessment value of the building (improvement) determined by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.
A principal department of the State of Maryland that is charged with, among other responsibilities, the coordination of the National Flood Insurance Program in Maryland (NFIP State Coordinator) and the administration of regulatory programs for development and construction that occur within the waters of the state, including nontidal wetlands, nontidal waters and floodplains, and state and private tidal wetlands (tidal wetlands). Unless otherwise specified, "MDE" refers to the Department's Wetlands and Waterways Program.
Any structure that is used or intended for use for a mixture of nonresidential and residential uses in the same structure.
The program authorized by the United States Congress in 42 U.S.C. §§ 4001 - 4129. The NFIP makes flood insurance coverage available in communities that agree to adopt and enforce minimum regulatory requirements for development in areas prone to flooding (see definition of "special flood hazard area").
Structures, including additions and improvements, and the placement of manufactured homes, for which the start of construction commenced on or after May 15, 1980, the initial effective date of the Town of Snow Hill Flood Insurance Rate Map, including any subsequent improvements, alterations, modifications, and additions to such structures.
See "Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)."
See "waters of the state." As used in these regulations, "nontidal waters of the state" refers to any stream or body of water within the state that is subject to state regulation, including the "one-hundred-year frequency floodplain of free-flowing waters." COMAR 26.17.04 states that "the landward boundaries of any tidal waters shall be deemed coterminous with the wetlands boundary maps adopted pursuant to Environment Article, § 16-301, Annotated Code of Maryland." Therefore, the boundary between the tidal and nontidal waters of the state is the tidal wetlands boundary.
An individual or group of individuals, corporation, partnership, association, or any other entity, including state and local governments and agencies.
A vehicle that is built on a single chassis, 400 square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection, designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light-duty truck, and designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling, but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
The land in the floodplain subject to a one-percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year. Special flood hazard areas are designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Flood Insurance Studies and on Flood Insurance Rate Maps as Zones A, AE, AH, AO, A1-30, and A99, and Zones VE and V1-30. The term includes areas shown on other flood maps that are identified in § 89-5.
The date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition placement, or other improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The "actual start" means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured home on a foundation. Permanent construction does not include land preparation, such as clearing, grading and filling; nor does it include the installation of streets and/or walkways; nor does it include excavation for a basement, footings, piers, or foundations or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory structures, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure. For substantial improvements, the "actual start of construction" means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.
That which is built or constructed; specifically, a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured home.
Damage of any origin sustained by a building or structure whereby the cost of restoring the building or structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the building or structure before the damage occurred. Also used as "substantially damaged" structures. [Note: See "Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Desk Reference" (FEMA P-758).]
Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a building or structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the building or structure before the start of construction of the improvement. The term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage, regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either:
Any project for improvement of a building or structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official prior to submission of an application for a permit and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions; or
Any alteration of an historic structure, provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as an historic structure.
| [Note: See "Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Desk Reference" (FEMA P-758).] |
A structure installed, used, or erected for a period of less than 180 days.
A grant of relief from the strict application of one or more requirements of these regulations.
Any construction or development in a special flood hazard area that is being performed without an issued permit; the failure of a building, structure, or other development for which a permit is issued to be fully compliant with these regulations and the conditions of the issued permit. A building, structure, or other development without the required design certifications, the elevation certificate, or other evidence of compliance required is presumed to be a violation until such time as the required documentation is provided.
The channel, including channel banks and bed, of nontidal waters of the state.
See Environment Article, Title 5, Subtitle 1, Annotated Code of Maryland. Waters of the state include:
Both surface and underground waters within the boundaries of the state subject to its jurisdiction;
That portion of the Atlantic Ocean within the boundaries of the state;
The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries;
All ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, public ditches, tax ditches, and public drainage systems within the state, other than those designed and used to collect, convey, or dispose of sanitary sewage; and
The floodplain of free-flowing waters determined by MDE on the basis of the one-hundred-year flood frequency.
