Page County, VA Establishment of Floodplain Districts

The various special flood hazard districts shall include the SFHAs. The basis for the delineation of these districts shall be the FIS for Page County and the FIRM prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Insurance Administration, dated January 5, 2007, and subsequent revisions or amendments thereto.

Page County may identify and regulate local flood hazard or ponding areas that are not delineated on the FIRM. These areas may be delineated on a "Local Flood Hazard Map" using best available topographic data and locally derived information such as flood of record, historic high-water marks, or approximate study methodologies.

The boundaries of the SFHA districts are established as shown on the FIRM, which is declared to be a part of this chapter and which shall be kept on file at the Page County offices.

(1)

The Floodway District is in an AE Zone and is delineated, for purposes of this chapter, using the criterion that certain areas within the floodplain must be capable of carrying the waters of the 1% annual chance flood without increasing the water surface elevation of that flood more than one foot at any point. The areas included in this district are specifically defined in Table 4 of the above-referenced FIS and shown on the accompanying FIRM.

(a)

The following provisions shall apply within the Floodway District of an AE Zone [44 CFR 60.3(d)]:

[1]

Within any floodway area, no encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, or other development, shall be permitted unless it has been demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses performed in accordance with standard engineering practice that the proposed encroachment will not result in any increase in flood levels within the community during the occurrence of the base flood discharge. Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses shall be undertaken only by professional engineers or others of demonstrated qualifications, who shall certify that the technical methods used correctly reflect currently accepted technical concepts. Studies, analyses, computations, etc., shall be submitted in sufficient detail to allow a thorough review by the Floodplain Administrator.

[2]

Development activities which increase the water surface elevation of the base flood may be allowed, provided that the applicant first applies, with the County's endorsement, for a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR), and receives the approval of FEMA.

[3]

If Subsection C(1)(a) is satisfied, all new construction and substantial improvements shall comply with all applicable flood hazard reduction provisions of Subsection C.

(2)

The AE or AH Zones on the FIRM accompanying the FIS shall be those areas for which 1% annual chance flood elevations have been provided and the floodway has not been delineated. The following provisions shall apply with an AE or AH Zone [44 CFR 60.3(c)] where FEMA has provided base flood elevations.

(a)

Until a regulatory floodway is designated, no new construction, substantial improvements, or other development (including fill) shall be permitted within the areas of special flood hazard, designated as Zones A1-30, AE, or AH on the FIRM, unless it is demonstrated that the cumulative effect of the proposed development, when combined with all other existing and anticipated development, will not increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one foot at any one point within the County.

(b)

Development activities in Zones A1-30, AE or AH on the County's FIRM which increase the water surface elevation of the base flood by more than one foot may be allowed, provided that the applicant first applies, with the County's endorsement, for a conditional letter of map revision, and receives the approval of FEMA.

(3)

The A Zone on the FIRM accompanying the FIS shall be those areas for which no detailed flood profiles or elevations have been provided, but the 1% annual chance floodplain boundary has been approximated. For these areas, the following provisions shall apply [44 CFR 60.3(b)]:

(a)

The Approximated Floodplain District shall be that floodplain area for which no detailed flood profiles or elevations have been provided, but where a 1% annual chance floodplain boundary has been approximated. Such areas are shown as Zone A on the maps accompanying the FIS. For these areas, the base flood elevations and floodway information from federal, state, and other acceptable sources shall be used, when available. Where the specific 1% annual chance flood elevation cannot be determined for this area using other sources of data, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Floodplain Information Reports, U.S. Geological Survey Flood-Prone Quadrangles, etc., then the applicant for the proposed use, development and/or activity shall determine this base flood elevation. For development proposed in the approximate floodplain, the applicant must use technical methods that correctly reflect currently accepted practices, such as point on boundary, high-water marks, or detailed methodologies hydrologic or hydraulic analyses. Studies, analyses, computations, etc., shall be submitted in sufficient detail to allow a thorough review by the Floodplain Administrator.

(b)

The Floodplain Administrator reserves the right to require a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis for any development. When such base flood elevation data is utilized, the lowest floor shall be elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 12 inches of freeboard.

(c)

During the permitting process, the Floodplain Administrator shall obtain:

[1]

The elevation of the lowest floor (in relation to mean sea level), including the basement, of all new and substantially improved structures; and

[2]

If the structure has been floodproofed in accordance with the requirements of this section, the elevation (in relation to mean sea level) to which the structure has been floodproofed.

(d)

Base flood elevation data shall be obtained from other sources or developed using detailed methodologies comparable to those contained in an FIS for subdivision proposals and other proposed development proposals (including manufactured home parks and subdivisions) that exceed 50 lots or five acres, whichever is lesser.