Practice Test Geeks(CFS) Certified Floodplain Surveyor Practice Test
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Floodplain Mapping & Elevation Determination Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Floodplain Mapping & Elevation Determination flashcards as text

  1. In a FIRM revision, what is the significance of a 'Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA)' line?

    Answer: It marks where wave heights transition from less than 1.5 ft to 1.5 ft or greater

    The LiMWA separates coastal areas with moderate wave action (waves 1.5 ft or greater) from those with lesser wave action, distinguishing Zone AE from Zone VE construction standards.

  2. When performing a Hydraulic Structure Analysis for a culvert, which condition typically controls the design water surface elevation?

    Answer: Inlet control or outlet control, whichever produces the higher headwater elevation

    Both inlet and outlet control headwater elevations are computed, and the higher value governs the design since it represents the more restrictive condition.

  3. A surveyor finds that a structure's Lowest Adjacent Grade (LAG) is 342.1 ft NAVD 88 and the BFE is 341.5 ft NAVD 88. What is the freeboard above BFE?

    Answer: 0.6 feet above BFE

    LAG (342.1) minus BFE (341.5) = +0.6 ft, meaning the lowest adjacent grade is 0.6 feet above the BFE.

  4. What does 'effective' versus 'amended' mean on a FIRM panel?

    Answer: Effective is the current legally adopted panel; amended refers to draft revisions not yet adopted

    The effective FIRM is the currently adopted, legally binding map, while an amended panel has been modified through a formal LOMA or LOMR but may still await community adoption.

  5. Which statement best describes the relationship between the 1% annual chance flood and the 100-year flood?

    Answer: They are equivalent terms describing a flood with a 1% probability of occurrence in any given year

    The '1% annual chance flood' and '100-year flood' are synonymous, both describing a flood magnitude with a 1-in-100 probability of being equaled or exceeded in any year.

  6. During a LOMR-F application, what document must a licensed engineer or surveyor provide to support fill-based elevation claims?

    Answer: A grading plan and an Elevation Certificate or certified topographic data showing fill placement

    LOMR-F applications require certified topographic data or an Elevation Certificate demonstrating that legal fill has raised the property above the BFE.

  7. What is the primary purpose of the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report that accompanies a FIRM?

    Answer: To document the methodology, data, and BFEs used to produce the FIRM

    The FIS report is the technical backup document that details the hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, data sources, and computed BFEs shown on the FIRM.