Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM)
Exam 2025 Questions and Answers
Types of floodplains - ANSWER✔✔-Riverine, coastal, and shallow
Watershed - ANSWER✔✔-area that drains into a lake, stream, or body of water. Also called basin
or catchment area.
Channel - ANSWER✔✔-Ground features that carry water through and out of a watershed
Riverine Flooding - ANSWER✔✔-flooding that occurs along a channel
Flash flooding - ANSWER✔✔-flooding that occurs in hilly and mountainous areas that may come
scant minutes after a heavy rainfall. One can also occur in urban areas where pavements and
drainage improvements speed runoff to a stream.
Overbank Flooding - ANSWER✔✔-The most common type flooding in the US. It occurs when
downstream channels receive more rain or snowmelt than normal, or a channel is blocked by ice or
debris. Excess water overloads the channels and flows out onto the floodplain
Velocity - ANSWER✔✔-One measure of a flood is the speed of moving water. Measured in feet
per second
Thalweg - ANSWER✔✔-The channel bottom
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,Meander - ANSWER✔✔-a curve in the channel. The outside bank of the meander is subject to
erosion, the inside bank is subject to deposits
Accrete - ANSWER✔✔-to build up a shoreline by depositing sand, either by nature or human
actions
Actual Cash Value - ANSWER✔✔-The replacement cost for a building, minus a depreciation
percentage based on age and condition.
Alluvial Fan - ANSWER✔✔-An area at the base of a valley where the slope flattens out, allowing
the floodwater to decrease in speed and spread out, dropping sediment and rock over a fan-shaped
area.
Amendment - ANSWER✔✔-A change to a FEMA floodplain map that removes an area that was
inadvertently included in the Special Flood Hazard Area
Approximate studies - ANSWER✔✔-Flood hazard mapping done using approximate study
methods that show the approximate outline of the base floodplain. An approximate study does not
produce a base flood elevation.
Base Flood Depth - ANSWER✔✔-A measurement of the base flood in feet above ground, used for
shallow flooding
Basement - ANSWER✔✔-Any area of the building having its flood subgrade (below ground level)
on all sides
Base floodplain - ANSWER✔✔-the area of water and land inundated by the base flood
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, Basin - ANSWER✔✔-Also known as a Watershed, an area that drains into a lake, stream or other
body of water.
Bathymetry - ANSWER✔✔-The measurement of depths of water in the ocean or lakes
Bench marks - ANSWER✔✔-Monuments on the ground that show the elevation of the spot above
sea level. Also called Elevation Reference Marks.
Building - ANSWER✔✔-A walled and roofed structure including a gas or liquid storage tank that is
principally above ground as well as a manufactured home. Also known as structure
Building Condition Survey - ANSWER✔✔-A windshield survey conducted to obtain a preliminary
evaluation of the extent and severity of damage to buildings after a disaster
CAP - ANSWER✔✔-Community Assistance Program
Cfs - ANSWER✔✔-cubic feet per second, the unit by which discharges are measured (A cubic foot
of water is about 7.5 gallons)
CLOMA - ANSWER✔✔-Conditional Letter of Map Amendment
CLOMR - ANSWER✔✔-Conditional Letter Of Map Revision
Closed Basin Lake - ANSWER✔✔-A lake that has either no outlet or relatively small one, where
rainfall or groundwater can cause the lake's level to ride faster than it can drain
Coastal high hazard area - ANSWER✔✔-the part of the coastal floodplain extending from offshore
to the inland limit of the primary coastal dune along an open coast and any other area subject to
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
Exam 2025 Questions and Answers
Types of floodplains - ANSWER✔✔-Riverine, coastal, and shallow
Watershed - ANSWER✔✔-area that drains into a lake, stream, or body of water. Also called basin
or catchment area.
Channel - ANSWER✔✔-Ground features that carry water through and out of a watershed
Riverine Flooding - ANSWER✔✔-flooding that occurs along a channel
Flash flooding - ANSWER✔✔-flooding that occurs in hilly and mountainous areas that may come
scant minutes after a heavy rainfall. One can also occur in urban areas where pavements and
drainage improvements speed runoff to a stream.
Overbank Flooding - ANSWER✔✔-The most common type flooding in the US. It occurs when
downstream channels receive more rain or snowmelt than normal, or a channel is blocked by ice or
debris. Excess water overloads the channels and flows out onto the floodplain
Velocity - ANSWER✔✔-One measure of a flood is the speed of moving water. Measured in feet
per second
Thalweg - ANSWER✔✔-The channel bottom
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Meander - ANSWER✔✔-a curve in the channel. The outside bank of the meander is subject to
erosion, the inside bank is subject to deposits
Accrete - ANSWER✔✔-to build up a shoreline by depositing sand, either by nature or human
actions
Actual Cash Value - ANSWER✔✔-The replacement cost for a building, minus a depreciation
percentage based on age and condition.
Alluvial Fan - ANSWER✔✔-An area at the base of a valley where the slope flattens out, allowing
the floodwater to decrease in speed and spread out, dropping sediment and rock over a fan-shaped
area.
Amendment - ANSWER✔✔-A change to a FEMA floodplain map that removes an area that was
inadvertently included in the Special Flood Hazard Area
Approximate studies - ANSWER✔✔-Flood hazard mapping done using approximate study
methods that show the approximate outline of the base floodplain. An approximate study does not
produce a base flood elevation.
Base Flood Depth - ANSWER✔✔-A measurement of the base flood in feet above ground, used for
shallow flooding
Basement - ANSWER✔✔-Any area of the building having its flood subgrade (below ground level)
on all sides
Base floodplain - ANSWER✔✔-the area of water and land inundated by the base flood
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, Basin - ANSWER✔✔-Also known as a Watershed, an area that drains into a lake, stream or other
body of water.
Bathymetry - ANSWER✔✔-The measurement of depths of water in the ocean or lakes
Bench marks - ANSWER✔✔-Monuments on the ground that show the elevation of the spot above
sea level. Also called Elevation Reference Marks.
Building - ANSWER✔✔-A walled and roofed structure including a gas or liquid storage tank that is
principally above ground as well as a manufactured home. Also known as structure
Building Condition Survey - ANSWER✔✔-A windshield survey conducted to obtain a preliminary
evaluation of the extent and severity of damage to buildings after a disaster
CAP - ANSWER✔✔-Community Assistance Program
Cfs - ANSWER✔✔-cubic feet per second, the unit by which discharges are measured (A cubic foot
of water is about 7.5 gallons)
CLOMA - ANSWER✔✔-Conditional Letter of Map Amendment
CLOMR - ANSWER✔✔-Conditional Letter Of Map Revision
Closed Basin Lake - ANSWER✔✔-A lake that has either no outlet or relatively small one, where
rainfall or groundwater can cause the lake's level to ride faster than it can drain
Coastal high hazard area - ANSWER✔✔-the part of the coastal floodplain extending from offshore
to the inland limit of the primary coastal dune along an open coast and any other area subject to
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
