Basement

The National Flood Insurance Program defines a basement as the area of a building with its floor below ground level on all sides (44 CFR § 59.1). NFIP regulations do not allow basements to extend below the BFE except in dry-floodproofed, non-residential buildings. (Note: this definition is limited to properties located in Special Flood Hazard Areas. A “walkout basement,” which has a floor at or above ground level on at least one side, is not considered a basement under the National Flood Insurance Program.)