Local floodplain administrators are required by locally adopted flood damage reduction regulations to conduct Substantial Damage Determinations. Substantial Damage Determinations must be conducted following any event that damages a structure in the Special Flood Hazard Area (100-year floodplain), built before the community's initial Flood Insurance Rate Map. A substantially damaged structure is one that has damage that equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. To maintain local compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program, and ensure that future flood risk is reduced, substantially damaged structures must be brought into compliance with local flood damage reduction regulations. This letter template provides model language for the local floodplain administrator to notify property owners of the compliance requirements for substantially damaged structures.

   For more information, please contact the Division of Water at:
Phone: (614) 265-6750
FAX: (614) 265-6767
E-mail: water@dnr.state.oh.us
or by writing to:

ODNR Floodplain Management Program
2045 Morse Road, B-2
Columbus, Ohio 43229-6693

    The NFIP Substantial Damage Determinations: A guide for local officials is designed for local floodplain managers to use when structures in their communities have been damaged.

   This Guide provides concise, usable information and procedures for floodplain managers to implement when damage occurs. Through the use of four icons readers can quickly find tools (reproducible forms and templates), cautions (to avoid common pitfalls), references (for more thorough background), and time constraints (to maintain eligibility).

   For more information, please contact the Division of Water at:
Phone: (614) 265-6750
FAX: (614) 265-6767
E-mail: water@dnr.state.oh.us
or by writing to:

ODNR Floodplain Management Program
2045 Morse Road, B-2
Columbus, Ohio 43229-6693