These regulations, in conjunction with the Uniform Construction
Code, provide minimum requirements for development located in flood
hazard areas, including the subdivision of land and other developments;
site improvements and installation of utilities; placement and replacement
of manufactured homes; placement of recreational vehicles; new construction
and alterations, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation or additions
of existing buildings and structures; substantial improvement of existing
buildings and structures, including repair of substantial damage;
installation of tanks; temporary structures and temporary or permanent
storage; Utility and Miscellaneous Group U buildings and structures;
and certain building work exempt from permit under the Uniform Construction
Code; and other buildings and development activities.
The local design flood elevation (LDFE) is established in the flood hazard areas determined in §
222-11, above, using the best available flood hazard data sources, and the Flood Hazard Area Control Act minimum statewide elevation requirements for lowest floors in A, Coastal A, and V Zones, ASCE 24 requirements for critical facilities as specified by the building code, plus additional freeboard as specified by this chapter. At a minimum, the local design flood elevation shall be as follows:
A. For a delineated watercourse, the elevation associated with the best available flood hazard data area determined in §
222-11, above plus one foot or as described by N.J.A.C. 7:13 of freeboard; or
B. For any undelineated watercourse [where mapping or studies described in §
222-11C(1) and
(2) above are not available] that has a contributory drainage area of 50 acres or more, the applicants must provide one of the following to determine the local design flood elevation:
(1) A copy of an unexpired NJDEP flood hazard area verification plus
one foot of freeboard and any additional freeboard as required by
ASCE 24; or
(2) A determination of the flood hazard area design flood elevation using Method 5 or Method 6 (as described in N.J.A.C. 7:13) plus one foot of freeboard and any additional freeboard as required by ASCE 24. Any determination using these methods must be sealed and submitted according to §§
222-35 and
222-36.
C. AO Zones. For Zone AO areas on the municipality's FIRM (or on
preliminary flood elevation guidance from FEMA), the local design
flood elevation is determined from the FIRM panel as the highest adjacent
grade plus the depth number specified plus one foot of freeboard.
If no depth number is specified, the local design flood elevation
is three feet above the highest adjacent grade.
D. Class IV critical facilities. For any proposed development of new
and substantially improved flood design Class IV critical facilities,
the local design flood elevation must be the higher of the 0.2% annual
chance (500-year) flood elevation or the flood hazard area design
flood elevation with an additional two feet of freeboard in accordance
with ASCE 24.
E. Class III critical facilities. For proposed development of new and
substantially improved flood design Class III critical facilities
in coastal high hazard areas, the local design flood elevation must
be the higher of the 0.2% annual chance (500-year) flood elevation
or the flood hazard area design flood elevation with an additional
one foot of freeboard in accordance with ASCE 24.