Code of Massachusetts Regulations
780 CMR - STATE BOARD OF BUILDING REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
Chapter 16 - Structural Design
Section 1612 - FLOOD LOADS
Subsection 1612.3 - Establishment of flood hazard areas

Universal Citation: 780 CMR MA Code of Regs 1612.3

Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024

To establish flood hazard areas, the applicable governing authority shall adopt a flood hazard map and supporting data. The flood hazard map shall include, at a minimum, areas of special flood hazard as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an engineering report entitled "The Flood Insurance Study for [INSERT NAME OF JURISDICTION]," dated [INSERT DATE OF ISSUANCE], as amended or revised with the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM) and related supporting data along with any revisions thereto. The adopted flood hazard map and supporting data are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be part of this section.

1612.3.1 Design flood elevations. Where design flood elevations are not included in the flood hazard areas established in Section 1612.3, or where floodways are not designated, the building official is authorized to require the applicant to:

1. Obtain and reasonably utilize any design flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal, state or other source; or

2. Determine the design flood elevation and/or floodway in accordance with accepted hydrologic and hydraulic engineering practices used to define special flood hazard areas. Determinations shall be undertaken by a registered design professional who shall document that the technical methods used reflect currently accepted engineering practice.

1612.3.2 Determination of impacts. In riverine flood hazard areas where design flood elevations are specified but floodways have not been designated, the applicant shall provide a floodway analysis that demonstrates that the proposed work will not increase the design flood elevation more than 1 foot (305 mm) at any point within the jurisdiction of the applicable governing authority.

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