Atlantic County, NJ Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Section 86-804(A), part of Article 800's flood hazard development standards, directs County review to check whether a municipality's design flood elevation requirement meets Table 3, Freeboard Requirements Above Base Flood Elevation; if it does not, the County makes a recommendation to the municipal approving authority to require compliance. Table 3 sets four building categories against three FEMA flood zones. Residential structures need 1 extra foot of freeboard above base flood elevation in Zone X and Zone A, and 2 feet in Zone V. Buildings with school or day-care facilities, and other nonessential facilities, carry the same 1-foot/1-foot/2-foot schedule.

Essential facilities step up to 1 foot in Zone X, 2 feet in Zone A, and 3 feet in Zone V. Buildings that manufacture, process, handle, store, use or dispose of hazardous materials carry the same 1-foot/2-foot/3-foot schedule as essential facilities. Section 86-804(A)(2) directs that the 2011 FEMA Coastal Construction Manual, Fourth Edition (FEMA P-55), be consulted for development in Atlantic County's coastal areas. Because zoning and building elevation permits are municipal functions in New Jersey, the County's role is a review-and-recommend function tied to its subdivision and site plan authority over County roads and drainage, layered on top of, not replacing, the municipality's own construction permit process and the state Uniform Construction Code's flood provisions.

Section 86-804(B) pairs the elevation table with floodproofing standards: wet floodproofing requires one square inch of flood vent per one square foot of enclosed floor area, vents on at least two sides, and vent openings no more than 12 inches above the interior floor or exterior grade; dry floodproofing is barred outright in the V Zone and requires a FEMA floodproofing certificate where used in the A or AE Zone.