I'm filling out an Elevation Certificate for a site with a LOMR that was issued October 22, 2014, with an Effective Date of March 12, 2015. The LOMR greatly benefits the property I'm working on.
Has anyone had any experience with such a situation, and if so which data should be listed in the Section B-Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Information of the EC-that from the 2008 FIRM or the LOMR?
Any assistance/guidance is greatly appreciated-thanks!
I have a few similar cases in Washington State, and it all depends on your County Flood administrator.
In Kittitas County, Washington, they are currently involved in a lawsuit with FEMA, and will accept Flood Elevation Certificates based upon the old (outdated) maps until such time as the court case is settled. (this has been going on for a few years now).
Just to the South, in Yakima County, not only are you expected to use the newest maps, but they accept preliminary maps as gospel, and accept that preliminary maps actually overwrite the current maps in use. (this makes for WAYYYYY more research, as unless you go ahead and search, you have no idea whether there is prelim maps for that area)
Contact the local Flood administrator and get their opinion on how to proceed.
Preliminary maps should never be used to fill out an EC. FEMA does allow some communities to use the a preliminary map BFE if it is lower, but the info on the EC including the required BFE is always the map in effect the day you sign the EC.
For example the effective map's BFE shows 20' and the preliminary shows 18'. Fema and the community may allow you to build to 18' but until the preliminary map is in effect the owner is 2' out of compliance.
My opinion is to do one now without the LOMAR info then tell the client you can do another one on or after March 12, 2015 using the LOMAR info.