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      EnglishEspañolFrançaisKreyòlTiếng Việt简体中文한국어  Glossary
alert - info**Download the FAAT List**Updated in 2023, the FEMA Acronyms,
Abbreviations and Terms (FAAT) PDF contains a full listing of commonly used terms.
Or use the search bar below to find terms.
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      Legal Name
Name of the primary organizational unit that implements the assistance activity. The legal name includes the complete address of the applicant and the name and telephone number of the person to contact regarding matters related to this application.

Glossary Section: AFGP - Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program
    Letter of Determination Review (LODR)
FEMA's ruling on the determination made by a lender or third party that a borrower's building is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). A LODR deals only with the location of a building relative to the SFHA boundary shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). Please visit How To Request a Flood Hazard Determination Review from FEMA for additional information regarding the Letter of Determination of Review process.

Please visit How To Request a Flood Hazard Determination Review from FEMA for additional information regarding the Letter of Determination of Review process.
Glossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA)
A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) is an official amendment, by letter, to an effective National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) map. A LOMA establishes a property's location in relation to the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). LOMAs are usually issued because a property has been inadvertently mapped as being in the floodplain, but is actually on natural high ground above the base flood elevation.

Because a LOMA officially amends the effective NFIP map, it is a public record that the community must maintain. Any LOMA should be noted on the community's master flood map and filed by panel number in an accessible location.

***National Flood Insurance Program Requirements***

70 - Procedure for Map CorrectionGlossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Letter of Map Revision (LOMR)
A Letter of Map Revision is FEMA's modification to an effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), or Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM), or both. Letter of Map Revisions are generally based on the implementation of physical measures that affect the hydrologic or hydraulic characteristics of a flooding source and thus result in the modification of the existing regulatory floodway, the effective Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), or the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). The LOMR officially revises the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM), and sometimes the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report, and when appropriate, includes a description of the modifications. The LOMR is generally accompanied by an annotated copy of the affected portions of the FIRM, FBFM, or FIS report.

All requests for changes to effective maps, other than those initiated by FEMA, must be made in writing by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the community or an official designated by the CEO. Because a LOMR officially revises the effective NFIP map, it is a public record that the community must maintain. Any LOMR should be noted on the community's master flood map and filed by panel number in an accessible location.

***National Flood Insurance Program Requirements***

65 - Identification and Mapping of Special Hazard AreasGlossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Local Government
(A) a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; (B) an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or Alaska Native village or organization; and (C) a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity, for which an application for assistance is made by a State. 44 CFR 206.111.

Glossary Section: NDHS - National Disaster Housing Strategy
    Long-Term Housing
Safe, sanitary, and secure housing that can be sustained without continued disaster-related assistance.

Glossary Section: NDHS - National Disaster Housing Strategy
    Loss in Progress
A loss that is already in progress as of 12:01 a.m. on the first day of the policy term; or, as to any increase in the limits of coverage which is requested, a loss that is already in progress when the additional coverage is requested.

Glossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Lowest Adjacent Grade
The lowest point of the ground level immediately next to a building.

Glossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Lowest Floor
The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage in an area other than a basement area is not considered a building's lowest floor; Provided, that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable non-elevation design requirements of Sec. 60.3.

Communities are required to obtain the elevation of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new and substantially improved structures.

All new and substantially improved structures must have the lowest floor elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Non-residential buildings may be floodproofed below the BFE.

***National Flood Insurance Program Requirements***

59.1 - Definitions
	60.3 (b) (5) i - Floodplain management criteria for floodprone areasGlossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Lowest Floor Elevation (LFE)
The measured distance of a building's lowest floor above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) or other datum specified on the FIRM for that location.

Glossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Low Income
Federal agencies and programs may-within the boundaries set by Federal law-establish their own guidelines for defining low-income populations. For the purposes of this document, low-income populations are defined as such by the agencies determining program eligibility:
•	HUD defines a low-income household as a household whose total income does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by HUD, with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that HUD may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 80 percent of the median for the area on the basis of HUD's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes. HUD income limits are updated annually and are available from local HUD offices for the appropriate jurisdictions.
•	The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does not define "low-income," but it issues poverty guidelines in the Federal Register each year for use in determining eligibility for certain of its means-tested programs. These guidelines simplify poverty thresholds issued by the Census Bureau for use for administrative purposes such as determining financial eligibility for certain Federal programs. For example, the 2008 HHS poverty guidelines indicate that the poverty level for a family of four in the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia was $21,200.
•	USDA Rural Development follows HUD's definition for a low-income household.

Glossary Section: NDHS - National Disaster Housing Strategy
    Low-Rise Building
Low-rise condominium buildings having fewer than 5 units regardless of the number of floors or 5 or more units with fewer than 3 floors including basement. All townhouses/rowhouses, regardless of the number of floors or units and all single-family detached condominium buildings are classified as low rise. An enclosure below an elevated building, even if it is the lowest floor for rating purposes, cannot be counted as a floor to avoid classifying the building as a low rise.

Glossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    LDRM
Local Disaster Recovery Manager.

Glossary Section: NDRF - National Disaster Recovery Framework
    LOC
Library of Congress.

Glossary Section: NDRF - National Disaster Recovery Framework
    LTCR
Long-Term Community Recovery.

Glossary Section: NDRF - National Disaster Recovery Framework
    Long-Term Recovery
Phase of recovery that may continue for months or years and addresses complete redevelopment and revitalization of the impacted area, rebuilding or relocating damaged or destroyed social, economic, natural and built environments and a move to self-sufficiency, sustainability and resilience.

Glossary Section: NDRF - National Disaster Recovery Framework
    Logistics
The Logistics (LOG) cadre coordinates and monitors all aspects of resource planning, movement, ordering, tracking, and property management of Initial Response Resources, teams, and accountable property during the life of an incident. LOG is responsible for the operational readiness in support of FEMA’s incident workforce.QualificationsExperience in facilities management including warehousing or similar environments, setting up and breaking down offices or similar, assisting with completion of inventories, ordering supplies, processing paperwork for procurement of supplies, data entry and file maintenance, experience working in mail distribution or as a courier is a plusSpecialized experience reviewing and submitting requests for supplies, equipment, personnel, teams, services, transportation or commodities needed for disaster support using IT systemsUsing system of record to track requests, monitor and place orders, track shipping status, and reconciliation of discrepancies.Experience using a barcode reader to conduct inventories, receiving/transferring property through an Inventory System of Record (ISR).Experience with protection, accountability, transfer, and ultimate disposition of personal property.Glossary Section: Employment Cadres
    Letter of Map Change (LOMC)
Letter of Map Change (LOMC) is a general term used to refer to the several types of revisions and amendments to FEMA maps that can be accomplished by letter. They include Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA), Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), and Letter of Map Revision based on Fill (LOMR-F).
Glossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F)
A Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F) is FEMA's modification of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) based on the placement of fill outside the existing regulatory floodway.

All requests for changes to effective maps, other than those initiated by FEMA, must be made in writing through the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the community or an official designated by the CEO.

Because a LOMR officially revises the effective National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) map, it is a public record that the community must maintain. Any LOMR should be noted on the community's master flood map and filed by panel number in an accessible location.

***National Flood Insurance Program Requirements***

65.5 - Revision to special hazard area boundaries with no change to base flood elevation determinationsGlossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
    Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
In V Zones, new construction must have the elevation of the lowest horizontal structural member at or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Horizontal structural members are obstructions and can transmit the force of wave impacts to rest of the structure. This elevation is used as the reference level to determine insurance rates. This contrasts with construction and insurance rating in A Zones, which uses the elevation of the lowest floor including basement as the reference level. This requirement is to keep the entire building in a V Zone above the anticipated breaking wave height of a base flood storm surge.

In an elevated building, the lowest beam, joist, or other horizontal member that supports the building is the lowest horizontal structural member. Grade beams installed to support vertical foundation members where they enter the ground are not considered lowest horizontal members.

***National Flood Insurance Program Requirements***

60.3 - Floodplain management criteria for floodprone areas
	(e)(4) - V Zone Elevation RequirementGlossary Section: NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program
  
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