FEMA flood zone rules in Whatcom County, WA — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Whatcom County enforces floodplain rules along the flood-prone Nooksack River. In FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, new homes must sit above base flood elevation, building in the floodway is barred, and a floodplain development permit is required.
Whatcom County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, and its frequently flooded areas are regulated under the Critical Areas Ordinance, WCC 16.16. The Nooksack River floods recurrently, most severely in the November 2021 event that inundated Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas, so floodplain rules are enforced closely. Properties in FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas must meet minimum construction standards: new and substantially improved structures need their lowest floor elevated above base flood elevation, and a floodplain development permit is required for building, fill, or grading. Washington's Flood Control Zone Act, RCW 86.16, has Ecology review local floodplain ordinances. New residential construction in the mapped floodway is prohibited, and flood insurance is required for federally backed mortgages.
Building below base flood elevation, or placing fill or structures in the floodway without a floodplain development permit, violates county rules and NFIP standards, forcing corrective elevation, removal, and loss of insurance eligibility.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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