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Tri-Valley Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Definitions/Acronyms xv DFIRM—Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA); The DMA is Public Law 106-390 and is the latest federal legislation enacted to encourage and promote proactive, pre-disaster planning as a condition of receiving financial assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Act. The DMA emphasizes planning for disasters before they occur. Under the DMA, a pre-disaster hazard mitigation program and new requirements for the national post-disaster hazard mitigation grant program were established. DMA—Disaster Mitigation Act Drainage Basin—A basin is the area within which all surface water- whether from rainfall, snowmelt, springs or other sources- flows to a single water body or watercourse. The boundary of a river basin is defined by natural topography, such as hills, mountains and ridges. Drainage basins are also referred to as watersheds or basins. Drought—Drought is a period of time without substantial rainfall or snowfall from one year to the next. Drought can also be defined as the cumulative impacts of several dry years or a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time, which in turn results in water shortages for some activity, group, or environmental function. A hydrological drought is caused by deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies. A socioeconomic drought impacts the health, well-being, and quality of life or starts to have an adverse impact on a region. Drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate and occurs almost everywhere. DWR—Department of Water Resources Earthquake—An earthquake is defined as a sudden slip on a fault, volcanic or magmatic activity, and sudden stress changes in the earth that result in ground shaking and radiated seismic energy. Earthquakes can last from a few seconds to over 5 minutes and have been known to occur as a series of tremors over a period of several days. The actual movement of the ground in an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of injury or death. Casualties may result from falling objects and debris as shocks shake, damage, or demolish buildings and other structures. EPA—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA—Endangered Species Act Exposure—Exposure is defined as the number and dollar value of assets considered to be at risk during the occurrence of a specific hazard. Extent—The range of anticipated intensities of a hazard, usually expressed using a scientific scale. FEMA—Federal Emergency Management Agency FERC—Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Fire Behavior—Fire behavior refers to the physical characteristics of a fire and is a function of the interaction between the fuel characteristics (such as type of vegetation and structures that could burn), topography, and weather. Variables that affect fire behavior include the rate of spread, intensity, fuel consumption, and fire type (such as underbrush versus crown fire). Fire Frequency—Fire frequency is the broad measure of the rate of fire occurrence in a particular area. An estimate of the areas most likely to burn is based on past fire history or fire rotation in the area, fuel conditions, weather, ignition sources (such as human or lightning), fire suppression response, and other factors. FIRM—Flood Insurance Rate Map FIS—Flood Insurance Study Flash Flood—A flash flood occurs with little or no warning when water levels rise at an extremely fast rate Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)—FIRMs are the official maps on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has delineated the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Flood Insurance Study—A report published by the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration for a community in conjunction with the community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map. The study contains such background data as the base flood discharges and water surface elevations that were used to prepare the FIRM. In most cases, a community FIRM with detailed mapping will have a corresponding flood insurance study. Floodplain—Any land area susceptible to being inundated by flood waters from any source. A flood insurance rate map identifies most, but not necessarily all, of a community’s floodplain as the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Floodway—Floodways are areas within a floodplain that are reserved for the purpose of conveying flood discharge without increasing the base flood elevation more than 1 foot. Generally speaking, no development is allowed in floodways, as any structures located there would block the flow of floodwaters. FRA—Federal Responsibility Area Freeboard—Freeboard is the margin of safety added to the base flood elevation. Frequency—For the purposes of this plan, frequency refers to how often a hazard of specific magnitude, duration, and/or extent is expected to occur on average. Statistically, a hazard with a 100-year frequency is expected to occur about once every 100 years on average and has a 1 percent chance of occurring any given year. Frequency reliability varies depending on the type of hazard considered. Geographic Information System (GIS)—GIS is a computer software application that relates data regarding physical and other features on the earth to a database for mapping and analysis. GIS—Geographic Information System Goal—A goal is a general guideline that explains what is to be achieved. Goals are usually broad-based, long-term, Page 80 of 228