Glossary

Major Disaster

1) Any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under this Act to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby. 44 CFR 206.111; 2) As defined by the Stafford Act, any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought) or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under this act to supplement the efforts and available resources of local, State governments and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship or suffering caused thereby.

Mandatory Purchase

Under the provisions of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, individuals, businesses and others buying, building or improving property located in identified areas of special flood hazards within participating communities are required to purchase flood insurance as a prerequisite for receiving any type of direct or indirect federal financial assistance (e.g., any loan, grant, guaranty, insurance, payment, subsidy or disaster assistance) when the building or personal property is the subject of or security for such assistance.

Manufactured (Mobile) Home

A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when attached to the required utilities. The term manufactured home does not include a recreational vehicle. Generally, manufactured homes must meet the same requirements as stick built or conventional housing. Because they are usually residential buildings, they must be elevated so that the lowest floor is above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE).

Manufactured homes must be elevated and anchored to to a permanent foundation to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement.

National Flood Insurance Program Requirements

• 59.1 - Definitions
• 60.3 - Floodplain management criteria for floodprone areas
  • (a) (1) - Development Permit
  • (a) (3) - Reasonably Safe From Flooding
  • (b) (8) - Anchoring Requirement
  • (c) (6) - Outside of Manufactured Home Park, New or Expansion of Existing Manufactured Home Park, and Substantially Damaged Manufactured Homes
  • (c) (12) - Within Existing Manufactured Home Park
  • (e) (8) - Zone V

Manufactured (Mobile) Home Park or Subdivision, Existing

A manufactured (mobile) home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured (mobile) homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed before the effective date of the floodplain management regulations adopted by the community.

National Flood Insurance Program Requirements

• 59.1 - Definitions
• 60.3 - Floodplain management criteria for floodprone areas
  • (c)(6) - Outside of a Manufactured Home Park, in a New or an Expansion of Existing Manufactured Home Park
  • (c)(12) - Within Existing Manufactured Home Park
  • (e)(8) - Manufactured Home Parks in V Zones

Manufactured (Mobile) Home Park or Subdivision, Expansion to Existing Site

The preparation of additional sites by the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads.)

National Flood Insurance Program Requirements

• 59.1 - Definitions
• 60.3 - Floodplain management criteria for floodprone areas
  • (c) (6) - Outside of a Manufactured Home Park, in a New or an Expansion of Existing Manufactured Home Park
  • (c) (12) - Within Existing Manufactured Home Park
  • (e)(8) - Manufactured Home Parks in V Zones

Manufactured (Mobile) Home Park or Subdivision, New

A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed (including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets, and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads) is completed on or after the effective date of the floodplain management regulations adopted by the community.

National Flood Insurance Program Requirements

• 59.1 - Definitions
• 60.3 - Floodplain management criteria for floodprone areas
  • (c) (6) - Outside of a Manufactured Home Park, in a New or an Expansion of Existing Manufactured Home Park
  • (c) (12) - Within Existing Manufactured Home Park
  • (e)(8) - Manufactured Home Parks in V Zones

Map Revision

A change in the Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM) or Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for a community which reflects revised zone, base flood or other information.

Masonry Walls

Walls constructed of individual components laid in and bound together with mortar. These components can be brick, stone, concrete block, etc.

Matching Funds

The amount of project funding that a grantee agrees to provide in return for being awarded partial federal funding of the same project.

Misrating

The premium charged is incorrect because one or more of the rating characteristics used to determine the applicable premium rate for an application or renewal is discovered to be incorrect or was previously correct, but has changed. For example, a misrating will be considered to have occurred when the premium rate charged is incorrect because:

1. The policy was issued on the incorrect form of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy;
2. The policyholder's loss history makes the property ineligible for coverage at that rate;
3. The building has been physically altered (e.g., addition of an enclosure);
4. The use or occupancy of the building changed (e.g., the building is no longer utilized as a primary residence or a single family building was converted to a non-residential business building);
5. The building was reclassified as a severe repetitive loss building or a cumulative damage building;
6. The building was substantially damaged or improved;
7. The wrong flood zone or Base Flood Elevation was utilized to determine the premium rates;
8. The presence or absence of certain structural characteristics used in determining premium rates (e.g., basement, enclosures, or crawlspaces) is incorrectly indicated on the policy record;
9. The building replacement cost used to determine the premium rate is incorrect;
10. The building construction date is incorrectly indicated on the policy record; or
11. The community in which the property covered by the policy is shown to be located on the policy record is incorrect.

Mitigation

Capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. Mitigation capabilities include, but are not limited to, community-wide risk reduction projects; efforts to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure and key resource lifelines; risk reduction for specific vulnerabilities from natural hazards or acts of terrorism; and initiatives to reduce future risks after a disaster has occurred.

Mixed-Use Building

A building that has both residential and non-residential uses. Modular Building. A building that is usually transported to its site on a steel frame or special trailer because it does not have a permanent chassis like a manufactured (mobile) home. A modular building is classified and rated under 1 of the other building types.

Modify Facilities

For the purposes of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants, modifications to fire stations are minor renovations not affecting the footprint or profile of the facility being modified. Eligible activities are limited to the following: (1) Installation of sprinkler systems; (2) Installation of smoke and fire alarm notification systems; (3) Installation of vehicle exhaust evacuation systems; (4)Installation of vehicle mounted exhaust filtration systems; (5)Installation of ambient air improvement systems; and/or (6)Installation of emergency power generators.

Monitoring

Activities performed by federal staff members to review and evaluate specific aspects of a grantee's activities under a discretionary grant or cooperative agreement. These activities include: (1) measuring a grantee's performance; (2) assessing a grantee's adherence to applicable laws, regulations and the terms and conditions of the award; (3) providing technical assistance to grantees and (4) assessing whether a grantee has made substantial progress.

Mortgage Portfolio Protection Program (MPPP)

A program designed to help lending institutions to maintain compliance with the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended. Policies written under the MPPP can be placed only through a Write Your Own (WYO) Company.

Mostly/Majority Career Fire Department

A fire department where fifty percent or more of the membership is made up of personnel employed by the department on a full-time basis and receiving financial compensation for their services. Members who receive stipends such as "paid-on-call" are not considered to be employed and are not considered to be paid members.

Mostly/Majority Volunteer Fire Department

A fire department where fifty percent or more of the membership is comprised of personnel who do not receive financial compensation for their services. Members who receive stipends such as "paid-on-call" are not considered to be receiving financial compensation and are considered to be volunteers.

Mudflow

A river of liquid and flowing mud on the surfaces of normally dry land areas, as when earth is carried by a current of water. Other earth movements, such as landslide, slope failure or a saturated soil mass moving by liquidity down a slope, are not mudflows.

Multifamily Building

An Other Residential Building that is not a condominium building.

Multi-family Housing

The definition of multi-family housing varies from agency to agency. The definitions include:
• DHS/FEMA. For the purposes of the Rental Repair Pilot, multi-family housing means a property consisting of more than four units (dwellings). The term includes apartments, cooperative buildings and condominium. (NDHS)
• HUD. A property consisting of five or more units, also including health care facilities.
• Veterans Affairs (VA). A property consisting of two or more rental units.