SRP Description

Panel Role and Objectives

Scientific Resolution Panel (SRP) will be established for the purpose of performing independent reviews of scientific and technical data submitted by a community challenging FEMA's flood elevation data and studies used to develop proposed flood hazard data for the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). Individual Panels, consisting of 5 members selected from an independent cadre of experts, will review the conflicting flood hazard data submitted by FEMA and the community to determine which studies are technically and scientifically more accurate The Panel will then render a written decision that denies or accepts the alternative flood elevation data submitted by a community. The decision of the Panel will serve as the recommendation to the FEMA Administrator for resolution of the conflicting data.

Panel Directive

The Panel must present its rationale and decision based on a simple majority vote of the 5 member Panel in a report made available to FEMA and the community no later than 90 days after the first meeting of the Panel.

Panel Selection Criteria

The Institute will maintain a Cadre of scientific and technical experts in sciences that relate to the creation of Flood Hazard Maps and Flood Insurance Studies.

Professionals in the following fields of expertise are encouraged to submit an online application:

  • Coastal flood hazard analysis
  • Riverine flood hazard analysis, ranging from simple calculations to use of any of the models on FEMA’s acceptable models list to include 2-dimensional modeling
  • Lacustrine flood hazard analysis, ranging from simple calculations to use of any of the models on FEMA’s acceptable models list
  • Alluvial fan flood hazards analysis, ranging from simple calculations to use of any of the models on FEMA’s acceptable models list
  • Water resource engineering
    • Surface water hydrology
    • Open-channel flow hydraulics
    • Hydrologic engineering
  • Coastal storm and hydraulic engineering
  • Coastal geotechnical engineering
  • Coastal storm generation
  • Geotechnical engineering
  • Topographic data developed from both survey and remote sensing methods, including Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) techniques
  • FEMA Guidelines and Standards for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping and supporting guidance
  • Superseded FEMA Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners (May apply to studies begun before the superseded date)

Panel Initiation and Composition

Upon direction from FEMA to convene an SRP, NIBS will identify a list of 8 pre-qualified members from its Cadre of experts based on the technical and scientific expertise needed for each specific request. A Panel of 5 members will be chosen from the pre-qualified list of experts — in the case of a single community appeal, the community will choose 3 members, FEMA will choose the remaining 2; in the case of a joint community appeal, consisting of no more than two communities, each community will designate two (2) members each, FEMA will designate the fifth member.