Jefferson County - East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

A Regional Overview All-Hazard Mitigation Plan
contacted prior to alteration or relocation of a watercourse; (6) ensure that maintenance is
provided in the altered or relocated portion of the watercourse so that the flood-carrying
capacity is not diminished; (7) verify and maintain records of actual elevations that the new
or substantially improved non-residential structures have been floodproofed; and (8) ensure
that Jefferson County Building Official obtain certification from registered professional
engineer or architect when floodproofing techniques are utilized for non-residential
structures.
Floodplain development requires a permit with specific information including: (1) a legal
description of the land; (2) description of work to be done; (3) type of use or occupancy for
which work is intended; (4) assessed value of structure and fair market value; (5)
identification if development is in flood fringe or floodway; (6) identification of existing
base flood elevation and elevation of proposed development; and (7) include plans and
signature.
Provisions for flood hazard reduction includes five sections: general standards, specific
standards, manufactured homes, floodway and recreational vehicles. General standards
require that: (1) no development will be granted in any numbered or unnumbered A zones
unless all conditions are satisfied; (2) if flood insurance studies are not available, the
community will obtain and utilize flood data; (3) until a floodway is designated, no new
construction will be permitted in any numbered A zone on the FIRM unless it is
demonstrated that the cumulative effect of the development (and all other surrounding
development) will not increase the water elevation of the base flood more than one foot;
(4) all new construction, improvements and other development will require design or
adequate anchorage; materials resistant to flooding; use of methods that minimize flood
damage; all utility/service facilities designed and located to prevent water from
entering/accumulating in the components from flooding; water supply/sanitary sewage
systems designed to minimize/eliminate infiltration of floodwaters and discharges from
systems into floodwaters located to avoid impairment or contamination; (5) storage,
material, and equipment within special flood hazard area is prohibited, and storage of
other material may be allowed if not subject to major damage by floods; (6) agricultural
structures may be constructed at grade and wet-floodproofed, provided there is no human
occupancy, is of single-wall design, no permanent retail, wholesale or manufacturing use
and a variance has been issued; (7) accessory structures such as parking areas, not larger
than 400 square feet, may be constructed at grade and wet-floodproofed, no human
habitation, is of single wall design and a variance has been issued; (8) hazardous material
storage and handling must be out of the special flood hazard area; and (9) a
nonconforming structure may be continued, subject to: if the structure is destroyed
(including through flooding), it can’t be reconstructed if the cost is more than 50 percent
of the pre-damage market value of the structure.
Specific standards of the floodplain ordinance requires the following: (1) new construction
or substantial improvement of residential structures must have the lowest floor, including
the basement, elevated to two feet above the base flood elevation. The building envelope
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