Free National Flood Insurance Workshop for Professionals

William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR Chairperson. Courtesy of Hawaii News Now.

By Sonia Isotov

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Engineering Division (DLNR) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IX will co-sponsor a free workshop March 1 on Maui on the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Elevation Certificates (EC).

The workshop is targeted at meeting the needs of land surveyors, architects, engineers and county officials who submit and/or review FEMA’s elevation certificates.

“The National Flood Insurance Program’s Elevation Certificate is an important tool to verify that people’s homes are built above the anticipated flood levels to ensure their safety,” said William  J. Aila, Jr., DLNR Chairperson, in a written statement.

“Maintaining safe and secure communities throughout the Islands is paramount in Governor Abercrombie’s New Day Plan to invest in Hawaii’s people.”

An elevation certificate is used to determine the proper flood insurance premium rates. It can be used to document elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain regulations; and it may be used to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision based on fill (LOMR-F).

This training will include an introduction to elevation certificates and review several case studies in Hawai‘i that were submitted to the counties for review and approval.  Participants will learn, step by step, how to complete the EC form and ensure accuracy in the future.

The workshop is being held statewide: O‘ahu — February 27,   Kaua‘i — February 28,  Kona, February 29, and Maui,  March 1.

For details and to register for this training, please visit www.hawaiinfip.org and click on the 2012 Elevation Certificate Workshop Registration under the “Latest News” section. Please contact Kristen Akamine at 808-587-0281 or Jerome Academia at 808-587-0254 for further information.