Photo by Tanja Pigott
Floodplain Management
Floodplain Management and Administration
As a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the City of Boiling Spring Lakes enforces a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance aimed at reducing the risk of flood damage to structures and helping to ensure the safety of residents. While these ordinances have regulated development within Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), as identified on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), the city recently updated the ordinance to also identify and address areas subject to flooding outside of the FEMA designated SFHAs.
A SFHA is an area identified by FEMA as having a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. These areas are commonly referred to as the "100-year floodplain," and are shown on the FIRMs as flood zones, such as A and AE.
In addition to the SFHA's identified by FEMA, the City of Boiling Spring Lakes also regulates development within the Shaded Zone X as identified on the FIRMs. Shaded Zone X are areas identified by FEMA as having a 0.2% annual chance of flooding. While Shaded Zone X is NOT included in FEMA's definition of a Special Flood Hazard Area, the city does now enforce its floodplain development regulations in these areas.
In addition to the SFHAs and Shaded Zone X areas, the updated ordinance also regulates development for properties identified on the North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) Advisory Flood Data website. The Advisory Flood Data website provides flood mapping visualizations and flood risk analyses in areas where flood mapping studies were previously unavailable.
To see if your property is located within the SFHA (A or AE), or within the Shaded Zone X, please visit fris.nc.gov
To see if your property is identified on the NCEM Advisory Flood Data map, please visit flood.nc.gov/advisoryflood/
All development in areas identified as Zone A, Zone AE, or Shaded Zone X on the FIRM, and in areas identified on the NCEM Advisory Flood Data map requires a Floodplain Development Permit. All permit applications must be submitted for review and approval prior to any land disturbing activity.