Canton, OH Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Canton, OH, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Canton Codified Ordinances Ch. 1166
- Enforcing official
- City Engineer as Floodplain Administrator
- Permit required for
- Construction, filling, grading, watercourse alteration
- Penalty
- Fourth degree misdemeanor, strict liability
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Flood maps adopted
- Stark County FIS/FIRM effective 9-18-2018
Summary
In the City of Canton, Ohio, Chapter 1166 of the Codified Ordinances creates a Flood Hazard Zoning District covering all FEMA-mapped special flood hazard areas. Anyone building, filling, grading, or altering a structure or watercourse there must first get a floodplain development permit from the Floodplain Administrator, and violations are strict-liability fourth-degree misdemeanors.
(b) Findings of Fact. The City of Canton has special flood hazard areas that are subject to periodic inundation which 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. ... (c) Floodplain Development Permits. It shall be unlawful for any person to begin construction or other development activity ... wholly within, partially within or in contact with any identified special flood hazard area until a floodplain development permit is obtained from the Floodplain Administrator. ... (c) Violations and Penalties. Violation of the provisions of these regulations or failure to comply with any of its requirements shall be deemed to be a strict liability offense, and shall constitute a fourth degree misdemeanor. ... Each day such violation continues shall be considered a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Section 1166.01 finds that Canton's special flood hazard areas face periodic inundation risking life, property, health, safety, commerce, and the tax base, and adopts the regulations to protect human life, minimize public flood-control spending, and meet National Flood Insurance Program participation requirements. The district covers all areas the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Map for Stark County, effective September 18, 2018, identify as special flood hazard areas, including Zones A, A1-30, AE, AO, AH, and A99. The City Engineer or a designee serves as Floodplain Administrator under Section 1166.03, evaluating permit applications, interpreting flood boundaries, inspecting for violations, and keeping public records of permits, denials, and enforcement actions.
Section 1166.03(c) makes it unlawful to begin construction, filling, grading, remodeling, expanding a structure, or altering a watercourse anywhere in or touching a special flood hazard area without a floodplain development permit, and applications must include site plans, ground and lowest-floor elevations, and, where the Administrator requires it, engineering analyses. Section 1166.04 bars private water supply systems, infectious waste treatment facilities, and storage of hazardous, flammable, or explosive materials in these areas, and requires new residential construction in Zones A, A1-30, AE, AO, and AH to be anchored against flotation and lateral movement.
Appeals of Administrator decisions go to the Appeals Board under Section 1166.05, with further appeal to the Stark County Court of Common Pleas under Ohio R.C. Chapter 2506.
Violations & Fines
Section 1166.06 makes violating any provision of the Flood Hazard Zoning District, including building without a permit or building contrary to an approved plan, a strict liability offense and a fourth degree misdemeanor, punishable by fine or imprisonment as provided by Canton's laws, with each day of continuing violation counted as a separate offense. The Floodplain Administrator issues written notice of violation listing the sections violated, orders remedial action within a specified time, and advises the owner of appeal rights before the City prosecutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who administers Canton's flood hazard zoning district?
What happens if I build in a Canton flood hazard area without a permit?
Can I appeal a floodplain permit denial in Canton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Canton
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