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Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration
Importance of the Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA)
The coastal population in the United States has increased significantly over the last few decades. With this growth in population, increased coastal development has occurred, putting more buildings at risk from flooding and other coastal action. Low-lying coastal areas are especially vulnerable to damage from erosion, waves, and storm surge. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) depicts two coastal flood hazard zones on its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs):
- Zone VE, where the flood elevation includes wave heights equal to or greater than 3 feet; and
- Zone AE, where the flood elevation includes wave heights less than 3 feet.
For More information, the FEMA Fact Sheet on LiMWA can be found here:
Please take a look at the LiMWA Mapping for The Town of Westbrook Here:
As shown on the FEMA flood overlap, the area south of the green dashed line ( - - - ) is in the Limits of Moderate Wave Activity (LiMWA) or “Coastal High Hazard Areas”, as set forth in Section 4.C.5.3.2 of the Zoning Regulations.
All new construction or construction that counts as a “substantial improvement” within these areas is subject to stringent requirements under the Building Code, which has been codified into our Zoning Regulations.
There can be no basements, by way of example, and the bottom of all structure members must be elevated to one foot above flood level for these locations.