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Wake County Unified Development Code
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Article 14. Flood Hazard Areas
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Purpose
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Flood hazard areas of the county are subject to periodic inundation that may result in loss
of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental
services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief, and impairment
of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety or general welfare.
The cumulative effect of obstructions in floodplains causes increased flood heights and
velocities and, therefore, increase flood losses.
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It is the purpose of the flood hazard area standards of this article to promote the public
health, safety and general welfare by reducing public and private losses caused by flood
conditions in specific areas by provisions designed to:
(A)
restrict or prohibit uses that are dangerous to health, safety and property when flooded;
(B)
require that uses vulnerable to floods, including ancillary facilities that serve such uses, be
protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
(C)
control the alteration of natural flood plains, stream channels, and natural protective
barriers, which are involved in passage of flood waters;
(D)
control filling, grading, dredging and other land alterations which may increase flood
damage;
(E)
prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert flood
waters or increase flood hazards elsewhere; and
(F)
protect individuals from purchasing lands which are unsuitable for intended purposes
because of flood hazards.
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Disclaimer
While the degree of flood protection required by this ordinance is considered reasonable, it does not
imply total flood protection.
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Definitions
Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this section must be interpreted in accordance
with Article 21 or, if not defined therein, to give them their most common dictionary meaning, and to
give this ordinance its most reasonable application.
Area of Special Flood Hazard
The land in a floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.
Such areas, which are also referred to as “special flood hazard areas,” are:
(A)
Those areas identified under the Cooperating Technical State (CTS) agreement between
the State of North Carolina and FEMA in its Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and its
accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), for Wake County dated April 16, 2013,
which are adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this ordinance;
[Amended by OA 01-13 on 3/18/2013.]