Amarillo's Hurricane Preparedness: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles hurricane preparedness a little differently. In Amarillo, Texas, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Flood Elevation

Any one- or two-family home built in a designated flood zone in Amarillo must carry a finish floor elevation certificate sealed by a Texas-licensed engineer under amended Section R322. The City Engineer serves as the city's Floodplain Manager, setting base flood elevation and the associated permitting requirements.

Key details: Who must comply: One- and two-family dwellings in flood zones. Certificate sealer: Texas-licensed Professional Engineer. Local floodplain authority: City Engineer, designated Floodplain Manager. Floodway design standard: ASCE 24. Coastal A Zone trigger: Wave heights of 1.5 to 3 feet.

A one- or two-family home built in a mapped flood zone without an engineer-sealed finish floor elevation certificate cannot obtain final sign-off from the City Engineer acting as Floodplain Manager, and the building permit process under Section 4-3-31 will not close out. Non-compliant construction in a floodway or Coastal A Zone can also jeopardize the property's flood insurance standing, since the certificate is the documentation the city relies on to confirm the structure meets its base flood elevation obligations.

Roof Standards

Amarillo's amended Residential Code bars re-covering a roof over deteriorated decking, more than one existing layer, or asphalt shingles in the city's mapped moderate-to-severe hail exposure zone. Every new roof also has to be engineered to the local design table's 115 mph wind speed under Table R301.2(1).

Key details: Design wind speed: 115 mph (Table R301.2(1)). Hail zone rule: No asphalt shingle re-cover in mapped hail zones. Governing section: Amended IRC § R908.3.1.1, Amarillo § 4-3-31. Max existing layers: No re-cover over 2+ existing roof layers. Seismic category: Category B.

A roofing contractor who re-covers rather than tears off a roof that fails any of the four R908.3.1.1 conditions, including an asphalt shingle job inside the mapped hail zone, violates the amended Residential or Building Code and can be denied final inspection or a certificate of occupancy under the permit process in Section 4-3-1. The Building Official enforces the standard through the same permit, inspection, and correction-notice process used for all adopted construction codes.

The Bottom Line

Amarillo's hurricane preparedness rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Amarillo is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Amarillo can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.