Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CFM Practice Questions and Study Guide

A Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) is specifically designed to account for changes made to the floodplain due to manmade activities. This includes modifications such as adding fill, constructing levees, or altering drainage patterns which impact flood risk and floodplain mapping. When a locality or property owner undertakes such modifications, they can request a LOMR to update the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) to accurately reflect these changes, ensuring that flood risk assessments and flood insurance requirements are based on the current conditions.

For example, if a developer raises the elevation of a property by adding fill to build a new structure, this could potentially decrease the flood risk for that property. A LOMR allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to officially recognize this change in the map, which can affect flood insurance rates and requirements for that area.

Understanding the nature and function of LOMRs is crucial for floodplain management, as they serve to maintain accurate and up-to-date flood risk information in light of changes in the environment brought about by human actions.