Introduction to the FEMA Substantial Improvement / Substantial Damage Desk Reference and the FEMA Substantial Damage Estimator

摘要

When an existing building in a mapped special flood hazard area is substantially improved or repaired after sustaining substantial damage, and if the local jurisdiction participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the building must be brought into compliance with the NFIP requirements for new buildings. Those requirements are also found in current model building codes. In 2010, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published the Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Desk Reference to provide guidance to local officials who are responsible for enforcing local floodplain management regulations and building codes. An important part of that responsibility is making SI/SD determinations.Also in 2010, FEMA released the Substantial Damage Estimator (SDE), a software tool that helps local officials develop information to make SI/SD determinations. The SDE offers a formalized approach to collecting data in the field to develop reasonable estimates of building values and estimates of costs of repairs.