Coastal Erosion Supplement

National Flood Insurance Program
Community Rating System

CRS Credit for Management

of Coastal Erosion Hazards

2006

A community interested in more information on obtaining flood insurance premium
credits through the Community Rating System (CRS) should have the CRS Application.
This and other publications on the CRS are available at no cost from
Flood Publications

NFIP/CRS

P.O. Box 501016

Indianapolis, IN 46250-1016

(317) 848-2898

Fax: (317) 848-3578

NFIPCRS@iso.com

They can also be viewed and downloaded from FEMA’s CRS website,
http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/CRS/index.htm

Contents
Section

Page

Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1

Background on Coastal Erosion ........................................................................ 3

CRS Credit.......................................................................................................10

300 Public Information Activities ............................................................. 10

310 Elevation Certificates ...................................................................11

320 Map Information........................................................................... 11

330 Outreach Projects.......................................................................... 12

340 Flood Hazard Disclosure .............................................................. 14

350 Flood Protection Information ....................................................... 14

360 Flood Protection Assistance ......................................................... 15

400 Mapping and Regulatory Activities....................................................15

410CE Additional Flood Data for Coastal Erosion Areas................... 16

420CE Open Space Preservation.........................................................17

430CE Higher Regulatory Standards .................................................. 20

440CE Coastal Erosion Data Maintenance ........................................ 27

500 Flood Damage Reduction Activities .................................................. 28

510 Floodplain Management Planning................................................28

520 Acquisition and Relocation ......................................................... 28

530 Flood Protection .......................................................................... 30

540CE Coastal Erosion Hazard System Maintenance........................ 30

600 Flood Preparedness Activities ............................................................ 33

References .......................................................................................................34

Activity Worksheets

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INTRODUCTION
The Community Rating System (CRS) rewards communities that are doing more than
meeting the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to
help their citizens prevent or reduce flood losses. The CRS also provides an incentive
for communities to initiate new flood protection activities. The goal of the CRS is to
encourage, by the use of flood insurance premium adjustments, community and state
activities beyond those required by the NFIP to
•

Reduce flood losses, i.e.,
o protect public health and safety,
o reduce damage to buildings and contents,
o prevent increases in flood damage from new construction,
o reduce the risk of erosion damage, and
o protect natural and beneficial floodplain functions.

•

Facilitate accurate insurance rating, and

•

Promote the awareness of flood insurance.

The CRS includes 18 creditable activities, organized under four categories:
300—Public Information
400—Mapping and Regulations
500—Flood Damage Reduction
600—Flood Preparedness.
Credit points are based on the extent to which an activity advances the three goals of
the CRS. Communities are invited to propose alternative approaches to these activities
in their applications.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and many communities in the
United States have long recognized that the mapping and regulatory standards of the
NFIP do not adequately address all of the flood problems in the country. In particular, a
number of “special” flood hazards deserve attention. They include
•

Ice jam flooding,

•

Flooding adjacent to closed basin lakes,

•

Mudflow hazards,

•

Flooding affected by land subsidence,

•

Uncertain flow path flood hazards,

•

Coastal erosion, and

•

Tsunamis.

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This publication discusses the credits provided by the CRS for mapping and
management of coastal erosion hazards. The other hazards are addressed in the
publications Special Hazards Supplement to the CRS Coordinator’s Manual and CRS
Credit for Management of Tsunami Hazards. Both are supplements to the CRS
Coordinator’s Manual, and include additional Schedule sections and Commentary.

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BACKGROUND ON COASTAL EROSION
Coastal populations, development, and infrastructure have increased dramatically since
World War II. Within the United States, coastal counties have grown at a rate equal to
or greater than the national average. Since the early 1950s, rising incomes,
improvements to transportation infrastructure, increased automobile ownership, and
more leisure time have made coastal vacationing desirable for a growing proportion of
the population. This growth brings heightened potential for a major disaster resulting
from the combined effects of hurricane-force winds, coastal flooding, and the erosion
of beaches. The potential for major losses exists along all of the nation’s major
shorelines, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, and Great Lakes.
A report by the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment,
Evaluation of Erosion Hazards, estimates that by 2060 approximately 25% of homes
(87,500 of 350,000 homes) located within 500 feet of the coast (excluding those in
most urban centers) will be damaged or destroyed due to the effects of erosion (H. John
Heinz III Center, 2000). According to the report, erosion-induced losses to property
owners during that period are expected to be half a billion dollars annually. If coastal
development continues at its current rate or if sea level rise accelerates, as some
scientists are predicting, the damage may be even greater.

The 30-year (yellow or center

line) and 60-year

(red or most landward line)

areas of expected erosion are

shown on the aerial photo of

Nags Head, North Carolina

(from the H. John Heinz III

Center).

Natural Processes
Coastal erosion is a complex physical process shaped by both natural processes and
human intervention. Natural factors that influence the erosion process include the sand
supply; changes in sea level or the water level in the Great Lakes; geologic
characteristics of the shore; the effects of waves, currents, tides, and wind; and the
bathymetry of the offshore sea bottom.

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Wave length, height, and period affect the direction of sediment transport (U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, 1977, p. 2-8).

Waves are one of the main forces of coastal erosion. Waves move material onto, off,
and along the shore depending upon their height, length, period, and the direction at
which they strike the shore. For example, when water in the nearshore zone is deep and
there is a steeply sloping bottom, waves break closer to the shore and cause more
erosion than if the slope of the bottom is gradual with shallow depths immediately
offshore. Likewise, short, steep waves generally remove more material from the beach,
while longer period waves (swells) tend to place sediment back onto the beach.
Waves that are generated by the wind are responsible for much of the shoreline erosion.
The amount of energy in a wave is dependent on the speed of the wind, the wind’s
duration and the fetch—the unobstructed distance over the water the wind blows. The
greater the speed, duration, and fetch of the wind, the larger the wave that is generated.
Large waves contain more energy and thus have a greater ability to erode shoreline
materials than do smaller waves. Steep nearshore bottom slopes allow large waves to
break on the beach with greater force than do shallow nearshore bottom slopes.
Not only do the berms, bars, and the steepness of the near shore affect the height of an
incoming wave, but also their presence can affect erosion rates. Large waves will break
on a nearshore bar or in shallow water and dissipate a great amount of energy. Waves
that do reach the shore will break on the berm of the beach and dissipate their energy
before reaching the base of the dune. But a narrow berm, a steep nearshore slope, and a
lack of bars will allow large waves to break directly against the base of the dune. This
will result in a greatly increased rate of dune erosion. A beach with a wide berm, a
shallow nearshore slope, and nearshore bars will protect the shoreline and dunes by
absorbing and dissipating wave energy.
Littoral transport is the movement of material in the nearshore zone by waves and
currents—the mechanism that moves beaches. This movement may be parallel to the
shore, onshore, or offshore. It is the littoral transport mechanism that causes problems
by removing material from where people would like to have it—on the beach—and
placing it where they do not want it—in the inlet channel.

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Waves and the currents they generate are the primary agents of littoral transport. It is
the energy of the waves that picks up the sand and moves it along the shoreline.
Breaking waves carry sand onshore and offshore. Most waves strike the shore at an
angle and thus set up a longshore current. This moves the sand along the beach in a
series of zig-zag patterns as successive waves strike the shoreline. Downdrift is the
term that refers to the predominant direction of the littoral transport.

When waves move sediment onto
the beach at an angle, the sediment
washes back off the beach in a
direction parallel to the backwash of
the wave (following gravity
downhill). This zig-zag movement
results in a net longshore current in
the direction of the prevailing waves
(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
1981, p. 7).

Levels of Coastal Dune
and Beach Erosion

The volume of the frontal dune is a key to the
level of protection. (Photo from USGS, 1999.)

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The vulnerability of a barrier island to
storm overwash and inundation is
determined, in part, by the elevation of
the dune crest, the elevation of the base
of the dune, and the volume of the
dune. When a dune is not present, the
vulnerability of the barrier island to
overwash is determined, in part, by the
elevation and width of the beach berm.
The amount of erosion and overwash is
also determined by the magnitude of
the storm.

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Erosion Rates
Erosion rates vary significantly across regions and shoreline types; however, on
average the nation’s shorelines are receding at an average rate of slightly more than 1
foot per year (Leatherman, 1993). States bordering the Gulf of Mexico have the
nation’s highest average annual erosion rates (6 feet per year). The average annual
erosion rate on the Atlantic coast is roughly 2 to 3 feet per year. But these rates vary
greatly from location to location and year to year. They also can vary over short
distances because of geology, inlets, and engineered structures. In addition, a major
storm can erode the coastal shoreline inland 100 feet or more in a day, only to be
followed by accretion over the next decade.
The Pacific coast has a variety of geomorphic characteristics that influence the erosion
history of the region. The long-term average annual erosion rates are usually less than 1
foot/year, but these low averages hide the true nature of large, episodic events. Some
sections of the coast are rugged mountainous regions with narrow beaches and steep
cliffs that are composed of crumbly sedimentary bedrock and are therefore unstable.
Where these cliffs are heavily faulted and cracked, the breaks and joints are
undermined easily by wave action. In these areas cliff erosion is site-specific and
episodic. In some locations, the cliffs can retreat 100 feet during one event, while only
100 feet up or down the coast no retreat occurs at all.
Other areas of the Pacific coast consist of sandy beaches, some with cobbles
underneath. The major sand beaches of the Pacific coast are associated with large
rivers. The construction of dams, river and stream channelization, and natural events
can have a significant impact on the sand supply for these beaches.
The beaches of Southern California may be some of the most modified in the country
because of the widespread use of beach nourishment projects. In these areas the longterm trend of erosion has been addressed through beach nourishment, primarily as a byproduct of harbor construction and maintenance.
Shore types on Great Lakes coasts include high rock bluffs, low-lying clay and gravel
bluffs, sandy bluff-backed beaches, low plains, and wetlands. The rates of bluff and
dune erosion vary from near zero to tens of feet per year because of annual variability
in wave conditions and lake levels.
Although sediment supply and coastal storms are important factors affecting shoreline
erosion, sea level rise is perhaps the dominant process determining the rate of shoreline
movement and position (Zhang et al., 1997). The global average for sea level rise has
been about 1.0 to 2.5 millimeters per year during the last century (Douglas, 1995). The
average rise along the Atlantic coast is approximately 1 foot per century.
Such areas as Louisiana, however, are experiencing higher than average rates of sea
level rise because of subsidence caused by natural processes and human activities (e.g.,
pumping of oil, gas, and groundwater). Absent protective measures (e.g., beach
nourishment), the combination of changes in the sediment supply, coastal storms, and
sea level rise increases the rate of shoreline retreat.
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Dunes and Beaches
The impact of a storm on a coastal community is dependent not only on the magnitude
of the storm characteristics, such as storm surge and waves, but also on the elevation of
the beach and protective dunes.
Coastal dunes and beaches provide protection to inland development. They are the
barriers that break up waves and dissipate the effects of hurricanes and coastal storms.
Their preservation is important to protect property from damage and destruction by
coastal flooding.
The photographs below were taken at North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, before and
after Hurricane Fran. They show an area where there was wave runup on the dune
system and significant dune retreat. The volume of sand along the beach and dune
system, along with the building setback, resulted in lower flood losses for these homes.

Before Hurricane Fran, July 1996
After Hurricane Fran, September 1996.
(Photos from USGS.)

Coastal erosion and flooding are related processes that can increase the risk of damage
to structures. Once the coastline has shifted inland, flood elevations for the same
magnitude storm will be higher farther inland and thus can cause more damage. Houses
constructed in lower-risk A Zones with less stringent building codes may be subjected
to waves of V-Zone intensity as the shoreline moves inland. A structure originally built
in compliance with A-Zone standards at a base flood elevation of 13 feet might, after a
period of erosion, be located within a V Zone with a base flood elevation of 15 feet.
Now, waves and storm surge can be of sufficient magnitude to destroy a house that
might otherwise have survived had it been constructed to meet the more stringent VZone standards.

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The importance of a wide beach in
reducing the damage to structures
from hurricanes and tropical storms
is widely recognized. After Hurricane
Eloise struck Florida in 1975, a
survey to quantify the benefit of
beach width on storm damage
reduction was undertaken in Bay
County, Florida. As part of the study,
540 buildings were surveyed to
determine the extent of damage and
the relative position of each to a
jurisdictional control line, generally
parallel to the shoreline (Shows,
1978). The survey results illustrated
in the graph show the structural
damage caused by Eloise as a
function of the proximity of
structures to the jurisdictional control
line.

Damage to structures is based on their
relationship to the jurisdictional control line
(Shows, 1978, p. 159).

This is an extreme case of localized
scour that occurred during
Hurricane Fran in 1996,
undermining a slab-on-grade house
on Topsail Island, North Carolina.
The lot was several hundred feet
from the shoreline and mapped as
an A Zone on the Flood Insurance
Rate Map before the storm. This
case provides one argument for the
treatment of these areas as coastal
A Zones (Federal Emergency
Management Agency, 2000a, p. 7­
52).

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Present-day beach and dune topography alone should not be used to determine whether
dune retreat or dune removal would occur at a site. The most landward shoreline and
beach/dune profile expected over the lifetime of a building or development should be
calculated and used as the basis for decisions. The most landward shoreline should be
based on long-term erosion and observed shoreline fluctuations at the site.

Siting and design should
include consideration of
multiple storms or hazards
within a short period, whose
cumulative effects can exceed
those of a design-level event.
(Federal Emergency
Management Agency, 2000a,
p. 5-17).

Finally, dune erosion calculations at a site should also take dune condition into account.
A dune that is not covered by well-established vegetation (i.e., vegetation that has been
in place for two or more growing seasons) will be more vulnerable to wind and flood
damage than one with well-established vegetation. A dune crossed by a road or
pedestrian path will offer a weak point that storm waves and flooding will exploit. Poststorm damage inspections frequently show that dunes are breached at these weak points
and that the structures landward of them are more vulnerable to erosion and flood
damage.

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CRS CREDIT
The hazards associated with coastal erosion must be dealt with at the community level,
using all of the tools used in conventional floodplain management. Under the CRS,
these tools are organized under four general series of credited activities:
• Informing the public and specific populations about the hazards (300 series),
• Mapping and regulation of the hazard areas with recognition of the unique
problems associated with the hazards (400 series),
• Special structural and nonstructural efforts to solve existing problems (500 series),
and
• Special emergency preparedness efforts that recognize the particular problems
associated with these hazards (600 series).
This section reviews the proven mitigation measures for coastal erosion hazards
addressed in this publication. In some cases, CRS credit is provided for an activity in
the CRS Coordinator's Manual. In other cases, particularly in the 400 series, special
credit is provided in this publication. For those credits, this document is a supplement
to the Schedule and Commentary in the CRS Coordinator's Manual and the same
formatting is used. The special hazard credit points calculated with this publication are
added to the regular credit points in the Coordinator's Manual.
A community’s coastal erosion management program may include activities that are not
eligible for CRS credit. For example, local post-disaster recovery and mitigation
policies might require that damaged areas be redeveloped with new street patterns to
accommodate the clustering of structures away from the high hazard area.

300 Public Information Activities
People living on the coast usually do not start worrying about erosion until their
property or homes are visibly threatened. At that point, their choices are more limited
than they would have been if erosion had been considered before the building was
located on the site.
Because the flood hazards associated with the special hazards are different from
“normal” flood hazards, there are special needs for public education. Property owners
and developers must be made aware of the hazards and the methods needed to mitigate
them.
A sustained public outreach program is needed to inform coastal populations about
coastal preparedness and mitigation. Such a program should encourage information that
is consistent between local government and the community at risk. Innovative
approaches should be encouraged at many different levels.
There are several ways to provide this information, including
• Newsletter and newspaper articles,
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• Signs posted in the hazardous areas,
• Brochures and booklets on the hazards and what can be done,
• Evacuation maps,
• Booths at shopping malls,
• Presentations to civic associations or neighborhood groups,
• Providing information on the location and severity of the hazard areas to inquirers,
• Putting references on the hazards and appropriate protection measures in the public
library and on local websites, and
• Providing technical assistance to property owners.
Communities can use brochures, single-page instructions, periodic warning system
tests, electronic and print media information, signs, and emergency response exercises
to maintain awareness and instill effective response behavior. Some of this information
should be directed towards special institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and
convalescent-care facilities, and non-English speaking community members. Because
of seasonal tourism, many coastal communities and groups provide information
especially for tourists.

310 Elevation Certificates
FEMA elevation certificates, which are required for the purchase of NFIP flood
insurance, and which must be maintained by CRS communities, MUST be based upon
the current FIRM for the community, and they must be completed using the flood
information from the FIRM and the corresponding Flood Insurance Study. There is no
requirement to maintain elevation certificates outside the Special Flood Hazard Area
(SFHA).
This means that if a community has mapped areas with coastal hazards, and it is
regulating areas outside the SFHA and/or its regulatory flood elevation is higher than
that shown on the FIRM, everyone must still use the data from the FIRM for the
purpose of filling out the elevation certificate.

320 Map Information
Many communities provide inquirers with flood information from their Flood Insurance
Study and FIRM. Some use this opportunity to explain local regulations, including their
coastal erosion hazards and erosion management requirements. This provides the
inquirers with a more complete picture of their coastal hazard and the importance of
regulations as property protection measures. Notifying people that they are in flood and
coastal erosion hazard areas can also motivate them to purchase flood insurance and/or
undertake property protection measures.
Providing information from the community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
provides many benefits to residents; businesses; real estate and insurance agents;

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lenders; and those interested in purchasing, developing, or repairing property. CRS
credit is provided for advertising this service and for providing information as
described in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual under Activity 320.
If the community is receiving CRS credit for mapping and regulating its coastal erosion
hazard, the map information service must include telling inquirers if the property in
question is mapped as an erosion hazard area. The community must also disclose any
erosion hazard regulatory requirements for developing the property. This can help
property owners and potential buyers better understand the natural hazards risks of a
particular location. Understanding these risks can help property owners and builders
identify and evaluate potential property protection measures.

Broward County, Florida has compiled coastal hazard maps like the example
shown on the next page that are available to the public. The maps are part of an
overall coastal hazard assessment that includes information on coastal landforms,
hurricane hazards, hydrologic conditions, shoreline erosion, and emergency
planning. The County uses these maps to inform inquirers about coastal hazards,
applicable regulations, and protection measures.

330 Outreach Projects
This activity provides credit for newsletters, mailings, presentations, booths, brochures,
and a host of other means of getting the word out to the public or to target audiences,
such as builders or school children. Credit for some of the elements is based on
covering topics such as “flood hazard,” “flood hazard map,” “flood safety,” and
“property protection.” These topics should include information on the coastal erosion
hazards, in addition to the flood hazard mapped on the FIRM.
One of the elements in Activity 330 provides 100 points for developing and
implementing a public information program strategy. The community identifies its most
important public information needs and identifies the best way to meet those needs. The
strategy could focus on coastal erosion, if the strategy team determines that that is as
important as or even more important than “normal” flooding. The full credit of 100
points would still be provided.

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The Broward County, Florida, Coastal Hazard Map shows storm surge and areas of erosion hazard
(from Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2000a, p. G-18).

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340 Flood Hazard Disclosure
The CRS provides credit when real estate agents disclose information about a
property’s flood hazard to prospective buyers. More credit is provided if the disclosure
includes other hazards, such as coastal erosion hazards. State or local mandates that
sellers, landlords, or developers disclose these hazards can receive credit. If real estate
agents do not actually disclose a property’s hazards, but provide a handout advising
potential property buyers about what to look for and what questions to ask, additional
points are provided.
When a property is subject to a hazard, some states require sellers and real estate agents
to provide potential buyers with a notification of the hazard within a reasonable time
before the purchase of the property. The notification may include educational materials
and disclosure forms to ensure that those involved in the real estate transaction
understand the issues relevant to coastal hazards.
South Carolina, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, and Ohio are among a growing number
of states that have instituted notification or disclosure laws. These provisions are based
on the rationale that flood history, erosion risk, or other hazard exposure information
about a particular building or property is relevant to an informed purchase or
development. These states require that this information be made available to a potential
buyer or developer in a timely and understandable manner.

South Carolina’s ocean-related hazard and flooding notification requirement is
established in the state’s Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act. The seller of a
coastal property must notify a potential buyer of the ocean-related hazards
before a real estate agreement is signed. The properties and locations
affected are determined on the basis of definitions provided in the law.

350 Flood Protection Information
Under Activity 350, communities receive credit for putting flood protection information
in their public libraries and on their websites. These materials should cover all known
flood-related hazards, including coastal erosion hazards and property protection
measures. Additional credit points are specifically provided if the library has references
on coastal erosion hazards provided they are present in the community. This CRS
supplement can be cataloged in the library to receive that credit.
The community or the librarian should also review the references at the end of this
supplement to identify additional documents that would be helpful locally. Some of the
websites mentioned in this supplement could also be good links for the community’s
website coverage of its coastal erosion hazards and ways people can protect themselves
and their property.

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360 Flood Protection Assistance
The other activities in this series advise people to learn more about flood insurance and
flood protection. The objective of this activity is to provide interested property owners
with technical information on the coastal erosion and flood hazards affecting their
property, with advice on coastal erosion and flood protection measures, and information
on qualified contractors.
Floodplain residents are more likely to undertake activities to reduce flood and coastal
erosion hazards to their property if reliable assistance is available locally. The CRS
provides credit if a local government provides technical advice to interested property
owners and publicizes the availability of the service.

400 Mapping and Regulatory Activities
FEMA and many communities in the United States have long recognized that the
national mapping and/or minimum regulatory standards of the NFIP do not adequately
address the problems of special hazards. Since these special hazards have the potential
for resulting in extraordinary flood damage, it is important that communities deal with
them in ways that go beyond the minimum NFIP standards.
In order for a community to protect new development in areas subject to special
hazards, they must have maps that adequately define the hazards and ordinance
language that deals with the specific hazards in those areas.

Mapping Coastal Erosion Hazards
Several states and local governments have established shoreline mapping programs to
provide a technical basis for permit review and to establish long-term erosion rates to
use in conjunction with their building setback regulations. These shoreline monitoring
programs also serve as a basis for assessing the need for beach restoration,
nourishment, revegetation, and other beach erosion control projects.
To prepare beach profiles, some agencies use field surveys with the data tied to the
same control points from one survey to the next. Recently, light detection and ranging
(LiDAR) technology has found wider use since hydrographic and topographic surveys
can be conducted over large areas more efficiently than with traditional survey
methods.
The identification and mapping of those sections of a community that are most
vulnerable serves as a necessary guide for managing development in a coastal
community. New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington,
and other states have established their own shoreline mapping programs.

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410CE Additional Flood Data for Coastal Erosion Areas
Credit for mapping coastal erosion hazard areas for management purposes is provided
under this activity. Credit for the regulation of new development in mapped coastal
erosion areas is provided in Section 430CE. Areas for which coastal erosion hazards
regulation credit is requested may be within the SFHA or outside of it.
411CE Credit Points

a. Prerequisites for mapping credit:
1. The area mapped must be subject to regulations designed to minimize
future exposure to erosion damage. The community must receive at least
20 points (after the impact adjustment) for regulations that are credited
under Section 431CE.
2. The “coastal erosion-prone area” must be identified. The coastal erosionprone area is the coastal area where waves are anticipated to cause
significant erosion and shoreline retreat within the next 30–100 years. The
coastal erosion-prone area must be identified based on mapping or
erosion rates that meet FEMA’s minimum mapping standards. In the
absence of FEMA standards, the mapping must be consistent with state
coastal mapping standards.
b. Mapping credit for coastal erosion hazards (MCE) (Maximum credit:
points)

50

1. 50 points, for mapping the annual erosion rates of the community’s
shoreline subject to erosion.
2. 25 points, if the community requires a site-specific erosion rate analysis to
be done at the time of application for development permits within 600 feet
of a shoreline that is subject to erosion.
3. 25 points, if the community adopts a regulatory map delineating the areas
expected to be affected by erosion over the next 30–100 years but without
showing specific erosion rates.

As of the publication date of this supplement, there were no official FEMA mapping
standards for coastal erosion. Therefore, communities may use maps or rates prepared
by the state coastal management agency. If there are no state erosion maps or rates, the
community may use those prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S.
Geological Survey, or other federal agency, or develop its own maps or rates. If there
are no state or federal maps or rates, the community must document that the maps or
rates it uses are consistent with state standards.

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412CE Credit Calculation

c410CE = MCE

413CE Credit Documentation
The documentation required for coastal erosion hazards mapping credit must show how
the mapping addresses the special hazard mapping criteria described in this section.

The community must provide the following for coastal erosion mapping credit:
a. A map that shows the coastal erosion hazard areas or erosion rates along the
ocean or lake shoreline of the community. If only a small area of the
community is mapped for coastal erosion, only those areas need be shown
on the map; however, the length of the entire shoreline must be identified on
the map.
b. A description of the method used for mapping coastal erosion hazards.
c. Credit for 410CE is provided only if the mapping is used for land use
regulation to prevent damage from coastal erosion hazards. The
documentation required for Activity 430CE will meet this requirement.
d. If credit for mapping on a case-by-case approach is requested, a description
of the local government’s enforcement procedures.

420CE Open Space Preservation
It is generally accepted that the best use of erosion-prone lands and coastal erosion
hazard areas is to keep them open and free from development altogether. Keeping these
hazard areas open has public use and recreation benefits. Preserving the area from
development assures the protection of sensitive natural environments and access to
natural resource areas.
There are several techniques to preserve areas as open space. Regulatory approaches,
such as setbacks, can preserve areas from development; however, they do not produce
the benefits that public ownership does. When the government owns full title or
substantial interests in land located in hazard areas, it has full control over the use of
the land.
Local governments can acquire full or partial interest in the land, commonly referred to
as “fee simple” or “less-than-fee-simple” ownership. Fee simple ownership includes the
full bundle of rights and is used in situations where full public use of the property is
needed, such as for recreation or public buildings. When full use of the property is not

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needed, such as limiting development in coastal erosion hazard areas, then local
governments may opt to obtain cheaper less-than-fee simple interest.
An easement is an example of a less-than-fee simple interest in the land. An affirmative
easement is a right to use land, such as when the community purchases an easement for
hiking trails or beach access. A negative easement prevents the primary owner from
using the land in certain ways, such as when the community purchases a scenic
easement to prevent the owner from doing anything that would impair the aesthetic
attractiveness of the land. Easements are particularly useful when regulations will not
do the job and fee simple acquisition is not necessary, desirable, or cost-effective.
A local government may also obtain full or partial title to land by a bargain sale,
dedication, or donation. A bargain sale is part sale and part donation, where the local
government obtains title for less than the fair market value. This works when the
property owner is willing to sell land to the local government for less than the market
value, in exchange for federal and state income tax deductions equal to the difference
between the market value and the sales price.
A fee simple donation may also be used to obtain property rights. Local governments
usually receive donations when the property owner wants to maintain the land in a
certain way or wishes to obtain tax benefits.
This CRS activity provides credit for having floodprone property within coastal dune
and beach areas preserved as publicly owned or controlled open space. This credit is in
addition to the credit provided for open space (OS) in Activity 420.
421CE Credit Points

Preserved coastal erosion open space (CEOS) (Maximum credit: 35 points)
Credit of 35 points is provided for preserving dune and beach areas seaward of
the frontal dune as open space. There is no 420CE credit for preserving open
space landward of the frontal dune.

Dune and beach areas preserved in their natural undeveloped state may also qualify for
natural and beneficial functions (NB) credit under Activity 420 (see Section 420.c. in
the Coordinator’s Manual). Sand dunes are home to many plants and animals. These
plants and animals live in a harsh environment of salt spray, shifting and infertile sand,
bright sunlight, and storms. Some of the animals that depend on sand dunes include
burrow-dwelling beach mice, coach-whip snakes, ghost crabs, nesting sea turtles, least
terns, piping and snowy plovers, ground doves, and migrating monarch butterflies.

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CEOS = 35 points if at least 5 acres of the regulatory floodplain meet the
following prerequisites:
a. The area must meet the credit criteria for open space preservation in Activity
420.
b. The community must receive at least 20 points for its regulations under
Section 431CE.

The open space requirement may be met in one of three ways:
1. Public land, such as state and local parks and easements: However, as noted in
Section 403 of the CRS Coordinator’s Manual, there is no open space credit for
federal lands. All portions of city and county parks, forest preserves, state parks
and state forests, publicly owned beaches, or natural areas that are within the
regulatory floodplain may be counted for open space credit, EXCEPT PAVED
AREAS . See Activity 420 of the Coordinator's Manual]. Separate parcels owned
by a school district or other public agency can be counted, provided there are no
buildings on them within the regulatory floodplain.
2. Preserve land: private wildlife or nature preserves that are maintained for open
space purposes. Examples would be church retreats, hunting club lands,
Audubon Society preserves, and similar privately owned areas that are set aside
and not intended to be developed. A parcel set aside by a developer as a
temporary “preserve” until the area develops is not considered permanent open
space.
3. Restrictive development regulations: privately owned lands subject to state or
local regulations that prevent construction of buildings or the placement of fill
or other obstructions. Credit is only given for such regulated lands that are
vacant at the time of application for CRS credit. Some examples are setback
regulations, natural areas regulations, or any state or local law that prohibits new
buildings in a defined area.
423 Credit Calculation

Maximum credit for coastal erosion open space credit is 35 points.
cCEOS = 35

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424 Credit Documentation

a. To receive CEOS credit, the area receiving credit must be identified on a map
as dune and beach area preserved as open space.
b. Documentation m
ust be provided that shows that the area meets the
preservation requirements for Activity 420 (Open Space Preservation) in the
Coordinator’s Manual.
c. Documentation showing the community received at least 20 points under
430CE must be provided.

430CE Higher Regulatory Standards
Local governments have used a variety of ordinances to reduce the risk of damage from
hurricanes, coastal erosion, tsunamis and other hazards. Such ordinances include
shoreline setbacks; zoning to regulate the use of land and density of development;
subdivision regulations to guide the placement of buildings and facilities within a
development; and environmental protection ordinances to preserve frontal dunes,
wetlands, and other landforms that provide the community with a degree of natural
protection. Credit is provided for regulating coastal erosion hazard areas in a manner
that recognizes those elements of the hazard not addressed by the NFIP minimum
standards for floodplain management.
In this activity, credit is provided for regulatory standards that mitigate the effects of
erosion within those coastal erosion hazard areas. This is in addition to credit provided
for other regulatory standards under Activity 430 in the Coordinator’s Manual.
Setback Regulations
Coastal construction standards of the NFIP have emphasized the elevation of structures
rather than horizontal displacement of them. The NFIP only requires horizontal
displacement in V Zones to the extent that buildings must be “located landward of the
reach of mean high tide” and must not alter frontal dunes or mangrove stands (44 CFR
Section 60.3 (e)). These requirements do not apply in coastal A Zones, despite the
possibility that such areas may be experiencing erosion.
Setbacks based on maximizing the distance between the shoreline and the oceanfront
side of a structure can be effective in delaying damage from erosion. To minimize
damage, the safest approach available to individuals in eroding areas is to site the
structures in a way that will avoid long-term erosion risks over the anticipated life of
the structure.
Seventeen states have some form of shoreline setback policy in place. The stringency of
these policies and degree of enforcement vary both within and across states. Six states

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Illustration of North Carolina’s setback regulations

(from Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2000a, p. G-14).

(Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia) use
“average annual erosion rates” to establish the minimum setback for new construction.
Michigan and North Carolina require a 30-year setback on smaller structures. For
example, if a structure is to be located in an area with an average annual erosion rate of
2 feet per year, the building would need to be located at least 60 feet (2 feet x 30 years
= 60 feet) behind the regulatory reference feature, usually the first line of natural
vegetation. North Carolina also imposes a 60-year setback on larger buildings.
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Florida’s Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) defines that portion of the beachdune system that is subject to severe fluctuations based on a 100-year storm (see
Chapter 161, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 62B, Florida Administrative Code). The
control line is based on the estimated inland reach of a 100-year storm. When an
application is received for construction seaward of the Coastal Construction Control
Line the State of Florida establishes a 30-year erosion projection for the parcel. The
projection is based on long-term erosion rates. No multi-family structures are permitted
by the state seaward of the 30-year erosion projection, but a single-family structure
may extend seaward of the 30-year erosion projection in certain instances.

Criteria for locating the Coastal Construction Control Line

(from Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2000a, p. G-12).

Florida has also established a Coastal Building Zone, within which new construction
must meet certain requirements. In areas where a Coastal Construction Control Line has
been established, the Coastal Building Zone extends landward from the Coastal
Construction Control Line a distance of 1,500 feet (or 5,000 feet on coastal barrier
islands). In areas where a Coastal Construction Control Line has not been established,
the Coastal Building Zone extends from the seasonal high water line to the mostlandward V Zone established by FEMA. Construction seaward of the Florida Coastal
Construction Control Line must satisfy whichever requirements are more restrictive—
Florida’s or FEMA’s. (Note that state law prevents the 30-year projection from being
established farther landward than the Coastal Construction Control Line.)

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431CE Credit Points

Coastal erosion regulations (CER) and dune and beach regulations (DBR)
(Maximum credit 370 points)
a. Prerequisites for CER credit under this element:
1. The regulations must be based on coastal erosion mapping developed in
accordance with the criteria of Section 411CE, and
2. In the 30-year erosion-prone area the regulations must prohibit all new
buildings and substantial improvement of existing buildings.
b. CER = the total of the following points:
1. The erosion protection level, in years, where new buildings are prohibited.
CER has a range of from 30 to 100. The minimum value for CER is 30,
i.e., the regulations meet the prerequisites listed above. The maximum
value for CER is 100, i.e., the regulations prohibit all new buildings in at
least the 100-year erosion-prone area.
2. 0.5 x the number of years of erosion protection required by the setback
regulations for structures that are substantially improved;
3. 0.5 x the number of years of erosion protection required by the setback
regulations for structures that are substantially damaged;
4. 20 points, if large buildings are required to meet a 60-year setback
standard;
5. 75 points, if erosion-threatened structures must be removed within two
years of such designation by the state or local government. The regulation
must: (a) require the structure to be moved within two years of receiving
the erosion-threatened designation; (b) identify erosion-threatened
structures as those where any portion of the foundation sits within a zone
of imminent collapse measured from a reference feature such as the first
line of natural vegetation, or the normal high tide; and (c) define the
landward boundary of the zone as being measured from the reference
feature a distance of at least five times the average annual long -term
erosion rate for the site, plus 10 feet.
Credit will only be awarded where a state or local government can show
that the regulation has been upheld in court.
6. 50 points, if hardened structures, such as seawalls, revetments, and large
sandbags are prohibited along the erodible shoreline; and
7. 25 points, if all new structures must be set back at least 60 feet for the
entire shoreline, including areas with accretion.

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To receive credit for CER, the regulations must prohibit all new buildings from the area
expected to erode over the next 30 years. If that is the only coastal erosion regulation
enforced in the community, then CER = 30. Credit is provided for either local or state
erosion management regulations as long as they are enforced within the community.
Additional credit is provided where regulations require substantially improved and/or
substantially damaged structures to be set back at least 30 times the average annual
erosion rate at the building site. The amount of credit is based on the number of years
of erosion protection identified in the setback regulation. Credit is calculated by
multiplying the number of years of protection by 0.5.
If the community requires all new and substantially improved large buildings (i.e., over
5,000 square feet) to be set back beyond the 60-year erosion protection line, additional
credit is provided.
Communities that require the removal of erosion-threatened structures from the
shoreline may receive 75 points. This regulation must specify how erosion-threatened
structures will be designated and that upon such designation the property owner must
move or demolish the structure within two years. Structures with any portion of the
foundation in a zone of imminent collapse are considered to be erosion-threatened
structures. The zone of imminent collapse extends landward from a reference feature
identified in the regulation, usually the first line of natural vegetation, line of
escarpment, or normal high tide line. At a minimum, the landward boundary of the zone
must extend from the reference feature a distance of five times the average annual longterm erosion rate for the site plus 10 feet. For example, if the erosion rate is 2 feet per
year, the building must be moved if it is located closer to the reference feature than 20
feet [(5 x 2 feet) + 10 feet = 20 feet]. Credit will be awarded only if a state or local
government can show that the regulation has been upheld in court.
Permanent shoreline stabilization projects, such as groins, jetties, bulkheads, seawalls,
revetments, and large sandbags, may cause the loss of the public beach. They may also
increase erosion at adjacent properties by interrupting natural sand migration patterns.
Communities that prohibit these types of hardened structures receive 50 points for CER.

c. Coastal dune and beach regulations (DBR)
There is no prerequisite for DBR credit under this element. Credit is provided
for regulating development in coastal dune and beach areas.
DBR = the total of the following points:
1. 20 points, for regulations that prohibit vehicular and pedestrian traffic on
sand dunes except on appropriate access structures.
2. 10 points, for regulations that prohibit development seaward (or lakeward)
of existing buildings on waterfront properties. This includes new buildings,

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additions, swimming pools, pavilions, septic tanks, bulkheads, seawalls,
and similar structures that can become debris in a storm and damage
buildings.

Sand dunes are important in providing protection to buildings along the coast. They act
as natural barriers to dissipate waves and protect back-lying areas from flooding and
erosion. Pedestrian access between a coastal building and the shoreline is often
overlooked when siting decisions and plans are made. Experience shows, however, that
uncontrolled pedestrian access can damage coastal vegetation and landforms, providing
weak points upon which storm forces act. Dune blowouts and breaches during storms
often result, and buildings landward of the weak points can be subject to increased
flood, wave, erosion, or overwash effects.
432CE Impact Adjustment

Regulatory credit is adjusted based on the percentage of the shoreline mapped
and regulated for the erosion hazard.
a. Option 1:
If development along the entire shoreline is regulated for coastal erosion
protection, rCER = 1.0.

It is possible that a community has designated and regulates all of its shoreline as an
erosion hazard area. In this case, it should use Option 1, where rCER = 1.0. When
determining the area subject to local coastal erosion regulations, the local government
omits areas owned by the state and federal governments or areas in which development
is prohibited by the federal government in accordance with the impact adjustment map
instructions in Section 403 of the Coordinator’s Manual.

b. Option 2:
If development along only a portion of the shoreline is regulated as an erosion
hazard, a default value of 0.25 may be used for the impact adjustment ratio
(rCER = 0.25).
If Option 2 is used, credit for more than one special hazard will be granted
only if the hazards cover different geographic areas.

If the standard is enforced in only some of the community’s shoreline, the community
must use either Option 2 (the default value) or Option 3. The community may use
Option 2 if it results in more points than Options 1 or 3. For example, if more than 75%
of the regulatory floodplain is preserved as open space, rCEOS > 0.75 and Option 2
would provide more credit than Option 1.
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c. Option 3:
rCER: The size of the area subject to coastal erosion regulations must be
determined in order for the credit points to reflect the impact of the
regulations. This impact adjustment is the ratio of the shoreline
regulated for coastal erosion protection to the length of the entire
shoreline.
rCER =

Length of shoreline subject to erosion regulation
Length of the community’s entire shoreline

If Option 3 is used, each standard for which regulatory credit is requested must be
appropriately designated on the Impact Adjustment Map. The area affected by the
regulatory standard must exclude areas designated as open space that are receiving OS
credit under Activity 420 (Open Space Preservation).
In many communities, these regulatory standards will be applicable throughout the
community’s coastal erosion area, so a note on the map key will be adequate.
433CE Credit Calculation

cCER = (CER x rCER ) + DBR

434CE Credit Documentation

The community must have the following documentation available to verify
implementation of this activity:
a. Application for credit for Activity 410CE for the coastal erosion hazard.
b. The state or local law or o
rdinance language that adopts the regulatory
standard. The appropriate acronym (CER or DBR) must be marked in the
margin of the sections of the ordinance that apply to this activity.
c. An explanation of the procedures followed for enforcement of the regulatory
standard.
d. An impact adjustment map showing the erosion rates or a
reas and the
regulations applicable to the shoreline.

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A photocopy of the appropriate pages of the ordinance is sufficient and should be
attached to the activity worksheet. The Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO’s) application
certification is considered to include a certification that the ordinance or statute has
been enacted into law and is being enforced (see Section 212.a in the Coordinator’s
Manual).
If the regulations are enforced throughout the area mapped and credited in Activity
410CE, the map for 410CE can be used as the impact adjustment map.

440CE Coastal Erosion Data Maintenance
Credit is provided for making the community’s floodplain maps more current, useful, or
accurate in order to improve local regulations, planning, disclosures, mitigation, and
property appraisals.
CRS credit (8 points) is provided for including coastal erosion hazard map data in a
geographic information system (GIS), in a digitized parcel system, or on an overlay
map. This is found in Section 441.a.2(g) of the Coordinator’s Manual.
441CE Credit Points

Erosion data maintenance (EDM) (Maximum credit: 20 points)
a. Prerequisites for credit under this element:
1. The community must update the erosion data on at least a five-year cycle.
2. The community must receive credit for regulating development in erosionprone areas under Section 431CE.
b. EDM = 20, if a state or local agency maintains reference marks spaced no
more than ½ mile apart and records shoreline erosion in relation to those
reference marks at least every five years, OR
EDM = 10, if a state or local agency takes new aerial photographs at least
every five years to update its shoreline erosion rates.

This credit is for updating erosion data on at least a five-year cycle and adopting the
new rates or maps as part of the community’s erosion setback and coastal management
regulations.
442CE Impact Adjustment
All of the shoreline must be included in the erosion study; therefore, there is no impact
adjustment for this element.

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443CE Credit Documentation

The community must provide the following documentation:
a. A description of the method used to update mapped erosion rates or
regulatory maps.
b. A certification that the rates or maps are updated and adopted on at least a
five-year cycle.

500 Flood Damage Reduction Activities
Coastlines have always been a favored location for human settlements. Because of the
attractiveness of coastal locations, erosion risks are often given only a second thought
when buying beachfront property. With the long gaps between devastating storms,
coastal communities have continued to develop with new housing, maritime facilities,
and resort developments. As a result, the destructive force of coastal erosion threatens
more people and facilities every year.

510 Floodplain Management Planning
Communities are encouraged to prepare and adopt coastal management plans that guide
land use development, redevelopment, post-disaster recovery, and mitigation decisions.
Credit for preparing, adopting, implementing, evaluating, and updating such a plan
could be credited under Activity 510 (Floodplain Management Planning).
Sections 511.a(4) and 511.a(5) of the Coordinator’s Manual provide extra points for a
discussion of all special hazards that affect the community and for including a summary
of the impact of each hazard on the community and its economy and tax base.

520 Acquisition and Relocation
Acquisition and relocation may be the most cost-effective way of solving the problem
of threatened structures in coastal erosion areas. Although there is no extra credit for
acquisition and relocation of properties in erosion hazard areas, the credit offered in
Activity 520 is substantial.
Buildings threatened by imminent collapse from coastal erosion lose most of their
economic value. They have substantially lower tax value and pose a potential public
safety hazard if they are destroyed during a storm or abandoned. Relocation therefore
may be a desirable public goal because the community can thereby avoid the loss of tax
revenue and the public cost of clearing the wreckage of abandoned buildings.
Relocation is a common practice in some states, including North Carolina and Maine,
both of which discourage or prohibit further hardening of their shorelines.

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Relocation of existing structures from eroding shorelines can also be an effective
method for protecting the private investment in a threatened structure. Structures on
deep lots may gain significant protection by being moved landward on the same lot. If
sufficient space is not available on the existing lot, an alternate site must be acquired
and prepared, substantially increasing the cost of relocation.
The technical feasibility of moving both small and large structures has been
demonstrated on several occasions. Relocating readily movable one- and two-story
residential buildings has proven particularly cost-effective.

Building being relocated from
the erosion hazard area after
Hurricane Fran, Figure Eight
Island, North Carolina (photo
from Berry Williams).

Under current policy, if an insured building is damaged by a flood and the state or
community declares the building to be substantially damaged, an NFIP flood insurance
policy claim may provide assistance to help pay to relocate the structure, up to a
maximum benefit of $30,000. This is in addition to coverage for the repair of physical
damage from flooding. When properties are acquired and relocated using these funds
and the vacant property is preserved as open space, CRS credit is available to the
community.
Thirteen coastal states have dedicated funds for direct state or local acquisition of
property in floodprone or high erosion hazard areas. Some states provide financial or
technical support to communities for the relocation of public or private structures and
the creation, restoration, or re-vegetation of disturbed dune areas (e.g., Massachusetts
and Maine), or buyouts of repeatedly damaged properties (e.g., New Jersey, Florida,
Minnesota, Ohio, and Alabama).

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530 Flood Protection
Elevating Buildings
There is no special credit for elevating structures due to increased flood potential that
results from coastal erosion. However, local governments that consider the future
condition of their eroding beaches and dunes may decide to assist property owners who
elevate buildings that were built below the base flood elevation. Elevating buildings
that are flood prone has proven to be a cost-effective method of property protection.
Although there is no extra credit for elevating properties in coastal hazard areas, the
credit offered in Activity 530 is substantial.
Structural Flood Control
It should be noted that the CRS does not provide credit for structural flood control
projects that can result in a revision to the community’s FIRM. Nor does the CRS
provide credit for coastal structural projects that may be installed to affect erosion
rates, including seawalls, groins, and beach nourishment.

540CE Coastal Erosion Hazard System Maintenance
This element credits programs that maintain measures that protect buildings
from coastal flooding or erosion. These include dune or mangrove preservation,
bluff stabilization, and beach nourishment programs. The applicant must submit
a description of the program and identify where it is in effect on a map.
Credit for this element is dependent on the community’s having coastal erosion
setback regulations. This is provided under Section 431CE. If CER = 0, then
EPM = 0.

Section 540CE provides credit to encourage maintenance of erosion protection
programs, such as beach nourishment and sand dune restoration. To provide property
protection in case beach nourishment projects are not funded in the future, CRS credit
is only provided where the projects are not reflected on a FIRM or erosion-prone area
map.
541CE Credit Points

Coastal erosion protection maintenance (EPM) (Maximum 100 points)
a. Prerequisites for credit under this element:
1. The community must receive CER credit for regulating development in
erosion-prone areas under Section 431CE, Coastal Erosion Regulations.

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2. The erosion protection program must not use hardened structures, such
as seawalls, groins, or large sandbags more than 5 feet wide and 15 feet
long when measured flat.
3. The project must have been designed or evaluated by a professional
expert for the purpose of erosion management.
4. The erosion protection program must be an ongoing program with a multi­
year implementation plan. The program must have been in effect for at
least two years before credit is provided.
5. All required state and federal permits must have been obtained.
6. The program must be based on adding more sand to the area. Pushing
sand or grading the beach is not adequate for credit.
b. Credit Points:
1. EPM= 20, if the maintenance program is for a project providing protection
from a storm with a 10-year return frequency.
2. EPM= 50, if the maintenance program is for a project providing protection
from a storm with a 25-year return frequency.
3. EPM= 100, if the maintenance program is for a project providing
protection from a storm with a 50-year return frequency.

This credit is for ongoing maintenance performed by a public, quasi-public, or nonprofit agency, such as a property owners association. It is NOT for
•

Regulations that require individuals to maintain a program on their own properties,

•

Maintenance of hard structural projects, or

•

Implementation of one-time-only projects, such as a beach-bulldozing project.

542CE Impact Adjustment

a. Option 1: If the maintained erosion protection measures cover the entire
shoreline of the erosion-prone area, rEPM = 1.0.
b. Option 2: If part of the erosion-prone shoreline is protected by one of the
maintained programs, the community may use the default value for the
impact adjustment ratio, rEPM = 0.20.
c. Option 3: The impact adjustment for maintaining erosion protection programs
is the total length of the shoreline protected by those programs divided by the
total length of the shoreline in the erosion-prone area. Because these

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protection programs are linear features, area is not used as the basis for
measurement.
rEPM = Length of shoreline protected by the maintenance program
Length of shoreline in the erosion-prone area

Option 3 produces the most accurate impact adjustment figures and in many cases, the
results will be higher than those derived by using Option 2. However, it does require
measuring the length of the shoreline affected.
543CE Credit Calculation

cEPM = EPM x rEPM

544CE Credit Documentation

The community must submit the following documentation with its application:
a. A description of the erosion protection maintenance program. The description
must show that the program was designed by a professional expert for the
purposes of erosion management, and that all permits were obtained.
b. Documentation that shows how the community calculated the length of
shoreline affected by the erosion protection program.
c. A description of the protection project components and documentation on the
level of protection provided by the maintenance project.
d. A copy of the multi-year maintenance plan.

One of the keys for crediting a maintenance program is that a professional expert must
have designed it to ensure that it will be effective. Some communities have
implemented projects on their beaches or dunes without careful design.
The community must provide documentation of the level of protection provided by the
project. This information should be in the design specifications for the project.
Because credit for coastal erosion regulations is a prerequisite for this credit, the
community must have a map of the erosion-prone area. That map should be sufficient to
show the shoreline subject to erosion and the portion that is covered by the program.

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600 Flood Preparedness Activities
Powerful ocean waves, driven by hurricanes and other coastal storms, rising sea level,
and flooding, wear away the beaches and bluffs. As erosion moves the shoreline inland,
water moves closer to nearby houses, businesses, and public facilities. Once the
coastline has shifted inland, flood elevations for the same magnitude storm will be
higher farther inland. These changes can have a significant impact on a community’s
emergency preparedness plans. As homes, businesses, and public facilities become
more vulnerable they may need earlier warning to take emergency protective measures
or to evacuate. Public facilities may need to be closed and may not be able to perform
their emergency functions during and after the coastal storm, and primary roads may
become flooded and need to be abandoned as evacuation routes.
Local governments must make judgments about what levels of risks are acceptable and
what kinds of development are appropriate for each hazard area. Such advanced
planning gives the community time to examine storm hazards and formulate workable
and effective means of mitigating them. Emergency preparedness planning should be a
key component of this process.

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REFERENCES
Benton, S. and M. McCullough. 1988. Average Annual Long Term Erosion Rate Update
Methods Report. Raleigh, NC: Division of Coastal Management, Department of Natural
Resources and Community Development.
Bernd-Cohen, T., and M. Gordon. 1998. State Coastal Program Effectiveness In
Protecting Beaches, Dunes, Bluffs, and Rocky Shores: A National Review. Silver
Spring, MD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean
Service.
Douglas, B.C. 1995. “Global Sea Level Change: Determination and Interpretation.”
Reviews of Geophysics (July):1425–1432.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1991. Answers to Questions About
Substantially Damaged Buildings. National Flood Insurance Program Community
Assistance Series. FEMA-213. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/pubs/lib213.shtm.

Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1993. Flood-Resistant Materials
Requirements for Buildings Located in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Technical Bulletin
2-93. Washington, D.C.: FEMA. http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/job4.pdf.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1993. Free-Of-Obstruction Requirements for
Buildings Located in Coastal High Hazard Areas. Technical Bulletin 5-93.
Washington, D.C.: FEMA. http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/job10.pdf.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1993. Openings in Foundation Walls for
Buildings Located in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Technical Bulletin 1-93.
Washington, D.C.: FEMA. http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/job2.pdf .
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1994. Mitigation of Flood and Erosion
Damage to Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas. FEMA-257. Washington, D.C.:
FEMA.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1995. Engineering Principles and Practices
for Retrofitting Flood Prone Residential Buildings. FEMA-259. Washington, D.C.:
FEMA.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1996. Corrosion Protection for Metal
Connectors in Coastal Areas. Technical Bulletin 8-96. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/corr.pdf.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1996. State and Local Guide (SLG) 101:
Guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/plan/gaheop.shtm .

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

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Edition: 2006

Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1997. Building Performance Assessment:
Hurricane Fran in North Carolina, Observations, Recommendations and Technical
Guidance. FEMA-290. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/mat_fema290.shtm .
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1998. Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting:
Six Ways to Protect Your House from Flooding. FEMA-312. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/rfit.shtm .
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1999. Design and Construction Guidance for
Breakaway Walls Below Elevated Coastal Buildings. Technical Bulletin 9-99.
Washington, D.C.: FEMA. http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/job15.pdf.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1999. Protecting Building Utilities From
Flood Damage—Principles and Practices for the Design and Construction of Flood
Resistant Building Utility Systems. FEMA-348. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/pbuffd_complete_book.pdf .
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2000a. Coastal Construction Manual, Third
Edition. FEMA-55. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/plan/prevent/nhp/nhp_fema55.pdf .
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2000b. Reducing Flood Losses through the
International Code Series. Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/nfip/libfacts.htm .
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2002. Guidelines and Specifications for
Flood Hazard Mapping Partners. FEMA-37, Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/gs_main.shtm.

Flick, R.E., and E.H. Strerrett. 1994. The San Diego Shoreline: Shoreline Erosion
Assessment Atlas of the San Diego Region, Vol. I. Sacramento, CA: California
Department of Boating and Waterways.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 1999. Critical Beach Erosion Areas
in Florida. Report No. BCS-99-02. Tallahassee, FL: DEP, Bureau of Beaches and
Coastal Systems, Division of Water Resources. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/beaches/
programs/ccclprog.htm

H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. 2000.
Evaluation of Erosion Hazards. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management
Agency. http://www.heinzctr.org/publications.htm.
Keillor, J.P. 1998. Coastal Processes Manual: How to Estimate the Conditions of Risk
to Coastal Property from Extreme Lake Levels, Storms, and Erosion in the Great Lakes
Basin, 2nd Edition. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

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Edition: 2006

Leatherman, S.P. 1993. “Modes of Shoreline Behavior: Erosion Rate Analysis Using
Geomorphic Principles.” Pp. 218–223 in Proceedings of International Coastal
Symposium, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. 1994. Shorelands Protection and
Management Act. Part 323 of Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994.
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,%207-135-3304-10801--,00.html

Morris, M. 1997. Subdivision Design in Flood Hazard Areas. Planning Advisory
Service Report No. 473. Chicago, IL: American Planning Association.
National Research Council. 1995. Beach Nourishment and Protection. Washington,
D.C.: National Academy Press.
National Research Council. 1990. Managing Coastal Erosion. Washington, D.C.:
National Academy Press.
North Carolina Real Estate Commission. 1996. Questions and Answers on Purchasing
Coastal Real Estate in North Carolina. Raleigh, NC: Real Estate Commission.
Shepard, F.P. and H.L. Wanless. 1971. Our Changing Coastlines. New York: McGrawHill, Inc.
Shows, E.W. 1978. “Florida’s Setback Line—An Effort to Regulate Beachfront
Development.” Coastal Zone Management Journal 4 (1,2): 151–164.
Town of Nags Head. 1988. Hurricane and Post-Storm Mitigation and Reconstruction
Plan. Nags Head, NC: Town of Nags Head.
URS Consultants, Inc. 1990. Flood Damage Assessment Report: Nags Head, North
Carolina, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and Sandbridge Beach, Virginia, March 6–
10, 1989, Northeaster. Prepared for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Washington, D.C.: FEMA.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Engineering Research Center. 1977. Shore
Protection Manual. Vicksburg, MS: Waterways Experiment Station.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 1981. Low-Cost Shore Protection: A Property Owner’s
Guide. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Engineers.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Engineering Research Center, Waterways
Experiment Station. 1984. Shore Protection Manual, 4th Edition. Washington, D.C.:
U.S. Government Printing Office.
Zhang, K., B.C. Douglas, and S.P. Leatherman. 1997. “East Coast Storm Surges
Provide Unique Climate Record.” Eos 78(37): 389–391.

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

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Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

National Flood Insurance Program
Community Rating System

CRS Credit for Management of
Coastal Erosion Hazards

ACTIVITY WORKSHEETS

2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

INSTRUCTIONS
The following activity worksheets are to facilitate calculations of Community Rating
System (CRS) credit points. They are not used for a community’s initial application to
the CRS. INITIAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE CRS ARE SUBMITTED USING THE WORKSHEET
PAGES IN THE CRS A PPLICATION .
These activity worksheets are for internal use by the community, for submittal of
modifications, and for use by the ISO/CRS Specialist during verification and cycle
verification of a community’s program.
These worksheets are designed to be used in conjunction with the CRS Credit for
Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards. Each section of the worksheets corresponds
to a section in that supplement. If a section is missing from the worksheets, it is
because the CRS Credit for Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards supplement shows
that no data or calculations are required for that section.
It is recommended that these worksheets be photocopied before they are used.
When used for submitting a modification, the Credit Points, Credit Calculation, and
Credit Documentation parts of the worksheets should be completed for each activity for
which credit is requested. Fill in the blanks with the value for each variable.
Each worksheet has a Credit Documentation section. Check the blanks to denote that all
of the required documentation is available. In some cases, the documentation must be
provided with the modification. In others, checking the appropriate spaces confirms
that you will provide the documentation when needed. Please consult CRS Credit for
Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards if you have questions about which
documentation is to be provided with the request for a modification.
ATTACH THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR AN ACTIVITY TO THE WORKSHEET FOR THAT
ACTIVITY . If the documentation is ordinance language, attach only the necessary page(s)
from the ordinance.
M ARK THE MARGINS OF THE DOCUMENTATION WITH THE ACRONYM for the element so the
ISO/CRS Specialist can identify the basis for the credit.

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-iii

Edition: 2006

[This page intentionally blank.]

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-iv

Edition: 2006

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________

410CE ADDITIONAL FLOOD DATA
411CE Credit Points
a. Prerequisites:

___ 1. The area mapped is subject to regulations designed to minimize future

exposure to erosion damage.

___ 2. The coastal erosion prone area is identified on a map.

b.

Coastal Erosion Hazards: (MCE = one of the following methods):
1. Mapping annual shoreline erosion rates (50 points)

_______

2. Site-specific erosion rate analysis required with permit
application (25 points)

_______

3. Adoption of regulatory map that delineates the areas expected
to be affected by erosion over the next 30-100 years (25 points)

_______

MCE =

__________

412CE Credit Calculation
cMCE = MCE cMCE = __________

Add this credit to the value for AFDSH on line 413c, page AW-410-2.

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-1

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________
414CE Credit Documentation
a. A map that shows the community’s entire shoreline and the coastal erosion
hazard areas or the areas with erosion rates.
b. A description of the method used for the mapping coastal erosion hazards.
c. Documentation that shows the community receives at least 20 points under
Section 431CE.
d. If credit on a case-by-case approach is requested, a description of the local
government’s enforcement procedures.

_____________________________________________
Comments: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-2

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________

420CE OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION
423CE Credit Calculation
cCEOS = _________
Add this credit to the value for cSHOS on line 423d, AW-420-1.

424CE Credit Documentation
_____ a. A map that shows the community’s dune and beach area preserved as open space.
_____ b. Documentation that shows that the area meets the preservation requirements for
Activity 420 (Open Space Preservation in the Coordinator’s Manual).
_____ c. Documentation showing that the community receives at least 20 points under
431CE.

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-3

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________

430CE HIGHER REGULATORY STANDARDS
431CE Credit Points
a. Prerequisites for CER:
___

1. The regulations are based on the coastal erosion mapping credited in Section
411CE.
2. The regulations prohibit all new buildings and substantial improvement of
existing buildings in the 30-year erosion-prone area.

b. Coastal Erosion Regulations (CER)
1. Protection level for prohibition of new buildings
(years of protection required by setback standard, 30 to 100)

= ________

2. Protection level for substantial improvements
number of years of protection required by setback standard)
(0.5 x _______

= ________
3. Protection level for substantial damage (0.5 x
years of protection required by setback standard)

number of
= ________

4. Protection of large buildings (20 points)

= ________

5. Removal of threatened structures (75 points)

= ________

6. Prohibit hardened structures (50 points)

= ________

7. Setback regulations for accreting and rocky shorelines (25 points)= ________
CER = total of above:

CER = ___________

c. Coastal Dune and Beach Regulations (DBR) (no prerequisites)
1. Prohibit vehicular and pedestrian traffic (20 points)

= ________

2. Prohibit development seaward of existing buildings (10 points)

= ________

DBR = total of above:

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

DBR = ___________

AW-CE-4

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________
432CE Impact Adjustment
a.

Option 1: rCER = 1.0

b.

Option 2: rCER = 0.25

c.

Option 3: rCER =

=

__________

=

__________

=

__________

cCER =

_________

Length of shoreline subject
to coastal erosion regulation
Length of the shoreline ______________

433CE Credit Calculation
cCER = (CER

x rCER

) + DBR

Add this credit to the value for cSH on line 433k, page AW-430-2.

434CE Credit Documentation
a. Application for credit for Activity 410CE for coastal erosion.
b. The ordinance(s) or law language that adopts the regulatory standard(s).
c. An explanation of the procedures followed for enforcement of the regulatory
standard.
d. An Impact Adjustment Map showing the erosion rates or areas and the regulations
applicable to the shoreline.

_____________________________________________
Comments: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-5

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________

440CE FLOOD DATA MAINTENANCE
441CE Credit Points
a. Prerequisites

___ 1. The community updates the erosion data on at least a five-year cycle.

2. The community receives credit for regulating development in erosion-prone
areas under Section 431CE.
b. Erosion Data Maintenance (EDM)
A state or local agency maintains reference marks spaced no
more than ½ mile apart with erosion data updated at least
every five years (20 points).

= _______

A state or local agency measures average annual erosion rates
based on aerial photography updated at least every five
years (10 points).

= _______

Add this credit to the value for EDM on line 443c, page AW-440-2.

443CE Credit Documentation
a. A description of the method used to update mapped erosion rates or regulatory
maps.
b. A certification that the rates or maps are updated and adopted on at least a fiveyear cycle.

—————————————————————————

Comments: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-6

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________

540CE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
541CE Credit Points
a. Prerequisites
__ 1. The community receives credit for regulating development in erosion-prone areas
under Section 431CE.

__ 2. The erosion protection program does not use hardened structures.

__ 3. The project was designed or evaluated by a professional expert.

__ 4. The ongoing program has been in effect for at least two years.

__ 5. All required state and federal permits have been obtained.

__ 6. The program is based on adding more sand to the area.

b. Coastal Erosion Protection Maintenance (EPM)
1. Maintenance program with protection at a 10-year level (20 points)

= _______

2. Maintenance program with protection at a 50-year level (50 points)

= _______

3. Maintenance program with protection at a 100-year level (100 points) = _______

542CE Impact Adjustment
a. Option 1: rEPM = 1.0
b. Option 2: rEPM = 0.2
c. Option 3: rEPM = Length of shoreline protected by measures
Length of erosion-prone shoreline____________

= __________

543CE Credit Calculation
cEPM = EPM ______ x rEPM ________

cEPM=

_________

Add this credit to the value for cEPM on line 543c, page AW-540-1.

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-7

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards

OMB No.1660-0022
Expires June 30, 2007

Community : ____________________________
544CE Credit Documentation
a. A description of the erosion protection maintenance program with documentation
that (1) all required permits were obtained, (2) the project was designed by a
professional expert, and (3) the maintenance program is based on adding sand to
the beach.
b. Documentation that shows how the community calculated the length of shoreline
affected by the erosion protection program.
c. Documentation on the level of protection provided by the maintenance project.
d. A copy of the multi-year maintenance plan.

Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards

AW-CE-8

Edition: 2006

OMB No. 1660-0022
Expires: June 30, 2007

Public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated at 35 hours for the application and
certification process. Burden means the time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or to provide information to us. You may send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any aspect of the collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden to:
Information Collections Management, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness
and Response Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C St., S.W., Washington, D.C.
20472, Paperwork Reduction Project (OMB Control Number 1660-0022). You are not required to respond to
this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed in the upper right corner of this
form. Note: do not send your completed questionnaire to this address.

Activity Worksheet No.

Title

AW-210
AW-214
AW-230

CRS Application Cover Page
Recertification Worksheet
Modification/Cycle Cover Page

AW-310
AW-320
AW-330
AW-340
AW-350
AW-360

Elevation Certificates
Map Information Service
Outreach Projects
Hazard Disclosure
Flood Protection Information
Flood Protection Assistance

AW-410
AW-420
AW-430
AW-430LD
AW-440
AW-450

Additional Flood Data
Open Space Preservation
Higher Regulatory Standards
Land Development Criteria
Flood Data Maintenance
Stormwater Management

AW-501
AW-502
AW-510
AW-520
AW-530
AW-540

Repetitive Loss List
Repetitive Loss Requirements
Floodplain Management Planning
Acquisition and Relocation
Flood Protection
Drainage System Maintenance

AW-610
AW-620
AW-630

Flood Warning Program
Levee Safety
Dam Safety

AW-710
AW-720
AW-720m

Community Growth Adjustment
Community Credit Calculations
Community Credit Calculations (Modification)

AW-CB
AW-CE
AW-DB
AW-IJ
AW-MF
AW-SU
AW-TS
AW-UF

Closed Basin Lake Hazards
Coastal Erosion Hazards
Dunes and Beaches
Ice Jam Hazards
Mudflow Hazards
Land Subsidence Hazards
Tsunami Hazards
Uncertain Flow Path Hazards