Practice Test GeeksCFM - Certified Floodplain Manager Practice Test
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CFM Hydrology & Hydraulics Flashcards

6 cards from real CFM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A Detailed Flood Insurance Study uses the term 'Q100' to refer to:

    Answer: The peak discharge of the 1% annual chance flood

    Q100 denotes the peak streamflow discharge associated with the 1% annual chance (100-year) flood event, used as input into hydraulic models to compute BFE.

  2. Which soil hydrologic group has the highest runoff potential in the SCS method?

    Answer: Group D

    Hydrologic Soil Group D includes soils with very slow infiltration rates (e.g., heavy clays), resulting in the highest runoff potential when wetted.

  3. What is the purpose of a 'starting water surface elevation' (tailwater) in a HEC-RAS steady-flow analysis?

    Answer: To define the downstream boundary condition from which water surface profiles are computed upstream

    In subcritical (low-energy) flow analysis, HEC-RAS computes water surface profiles from downstream to upstream, requiring a known tailwater elevation as the starting boundary condition.

  4. Which of the following is the correct interpretation of a 26% probability of flooding over a 30-year mortgage period?

    Answer: Approximately equivalent to a 1% annual chance flood over 30 years

    A structure in the 1% annual chance floodplain has approximately a 26% cumulative probability of flooding at least once during a 30-year mortgage term.

  5. What is the primary distinction between a 'riverine' flood and a 'coastal' flood in NFIP mapping?

    Answer: Riverine flooding is driven by overbank discharge from streams; coastal flooding includes tidal surge and wave action

    Riverine flooding results from excess streamflow overtopping banks, while coastal flooding is caused by storm surge, tidal action, and wave energy from the ocean or large lakes.

  6. When a levee is shown on the FIRM as providing protection from the 1% annual chance flood, what accreditation standard must the levee meet under 44 CFR Part 65?

    Answer: Both B and C

    FEMA accreditation under 44 CFR Part 65 requires levees to meet design and freeboard criteria (including 3-foot freeboard) AND have documented operations, maintenance, inspection, and emergency action plans.