Unified Development Ordinance, 30th Supplement, November 2023

CHAPTER 9. ​NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION | Article 9.3. ​Floodprone Area Regulations

Article 9.3. Special Flood Hazard Area Regulations Sec. 9.3.1. General Purpose and Intent A. Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) within the City’s planning jurisdiction are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life, property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures of flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety, and general welfare. These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in SFHAs causing increases in flood heights and velocities, and by the occupancy in flood hazard areas by activities vulnerable to floods or hazardous to other lands which are inadequately elevated, floodproofed, or otherwise unprotected from B. The purpose of SFHA regulations is to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed to: 1. Restrict or prohibit activities which are dangerous to health, safety, and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in damaging increases in erosion or in flood heights or velocities; 2. Require that activities vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such activities, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction; 3. Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers which are involved in the accommodation of flood waters; 4. Control filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase erosion or flood damage; and, 5. Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert flood waters, or which may increase flood hazards to other lands. C. Specific objectives of flood damage prevention provisions are as follows: 1. To protect human life and health; 2. To minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;

3. To minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public; 4. To minimize prolonged business losses and interruptions; 5. To minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets, and bridges located in SFHAs; 6. To minimize damage to private and public property due to flooding; 7. To make flood insurance available to the community through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); 8. To maintain the natural and beneficial functions of SFHAs; 9. To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of SFHAs; and, 10. To insure that potential home buyers are aware that property is in a SFHA. Sec. 9.3.2. Applicability A. A flood permit to develop in any regulated SFHA shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this Article and Sec. 11.4.1. prior to commencement of any development within a SFHA. B. Unless otherwise exempt from compliance pursuant to Sec. 9.3.6. or Sec. 9.3.7., no structure or land shall hereafter be located, extended, converted, or structurally altered without full compliance with the terms of this Article and

other applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Sec. 9.3.3. Special Flood Hazard Areas A. Types of Special Flood Hazard Areas There are three (3) primary SFHAs within the City. 1. FEMA designated SFHA

If FEMA designated SFHA boundaries overlap with the boundaries of another SFHA, FEMA designated SFHA boundary interpretations and standards shall prevail.

Supp. No. 30

9 – 30 Published November 2023

Part 10: Unified Development Ordinance City of Raleigh, North Carolina