Cherokee County, GA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Cherokee County, GA, 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
- Code of Ordinances Ch. 30
- Administrator
- Cherokee County Engineering Dept.
- Flood study basis
- FIS dated June 7, 2019
- Permit required
- Before any development in hazard area
- No-rise threshold
- 0.01 foot base flood elevation
- Civil penalty
- Up to $1,000/day for violations
Summary
Cherokee County regulates every Area of Special Flood Hazard and Area of Future-Conditions Flood Hazard under Chapter 30 of the county code. No development activity, including grading, filling or building, can occur in a mapped flood hazard area without a permit from the Cherokee County Engineering Department, and the county's floodplain maps rest on the June 7, 2019 Flood Insurance Study.
No owner or developer shall perform any development activities on a site where an Area of Special Flood Hazard or Area of Future-conditions Flood Hazard is located without first meeting the requirements of this ordinance prior to commencing the proposed activity. Unless specifically excluded by this chapter, any landowner or developer desiring a permit for a development activity shall submit to the Cherokee County Engineering Department a permit application on a form provided by the Cherokee County Engineering Department for that purpose. No permit will be approved for any development activities that do not meet the requirements, restrictions and criteria of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 39 | Zoning: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 30, the Cherokee County Floodplain Management and Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, applies countywide and is administered by the Cherokee County Engineer under Sec. 30-4. Sec. 30-21 bars any owner or developer from performing development activities on a site containing an Area of Special Flood Hazard or Area of Future-Conditions Flood Hazard until a permit application is filed with the Engineering Department on the county's own form; no permit issues unless the project meets every requirement of the chapter. Sec. 30-5 adopts the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) dated June 7, 2019, with its accompanying FIRM maps, as the official basis for mapping special flood hazard areas, and that repository is kept at the Engineering Department for public inspection.
Sec. 01 foot or more, reduce flood storage capacity, or change flow velocity at the site's upstream and downstream boundaries. Any encroachment allowed under Sec. 30-39 requires an engineering study by a Georgia-licensed professional engineer, including a step-backwater analysis and floodplain storage calculations at least every 100 feet, submitted to the Engineering Department before a permit can authorize the disturbance. § 5-4-1.
Violations & Fines
Developing without a permit or violating a stormwater/floodplain plan draws a written notice of violation from the Engineering Department under Sec. 30-87, followed under Sec. 30-88 by a stop-work order, withheld certificate of occupancy, or permit suspension. Uncured violations can bring civil penalties up to $1,000.00 per day, and intentional, flagrant violations are cited to Magistrate Court under Sec. 1-12, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cherokee County require a permit to build in a flood zone?
What maps does the county use to define a flood zone?
Can I appeal a flood zone permit denial in Cherokee County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cherokee County
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