Freeboard Law and Legal Definition
According to 44 CFR 59.1 (Title 44 - Emergency Management And Assistance; Chapter I - Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department Of Homeland Security; Subchapter B - Insurance And Hazard Mitigation; Part 59 - General Provisions; Subpart A – General), freeboard means “a factor of safety usually expressed in feet above a flood level for purposes of flood plain management. Freeboard tends to compensate for the many unknown factors that could contribute to flood heights greater than the height calculated for a selected size flood and floodway conditions, such as wave action, bridge openings, and the hydrological effect of urbanization of the watershed.”
