Cleveland County, NC Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Section 12-251 of the Unified Development Ordinance adopts by reference the special flood hazard areas identified in the county's Cooperating Technical State flood insurance study and its FEMA flood insurance rate maps dated February 20, 2008, and it makes those areas the floodplain overlay zoning district under section 12-131. Section 12-254 then requires an application to the administrator before any development activity in a special flood hazard area, including a scaled site plan showing the SFHA boundary, flood zone designation, floodway or non-encroachment boundary, base flood elevation, proposed structure elevations, and any watercourse relocation.

Applicants must also submit proposed elevation data for the reference level of structures and utility systems, and, where floodproofing is used instead of elevation, a FEMA Floodproofing Certificate with an operational and maintenance plan. After construction, the permit holder must submit a final as-built elevation certificate (FEMA Form 81-31) before a certificate of occupancy issues, and the floodplain administrator, who is the county planner or designee under section 12-255, reviews it for deficiencies that must be corrected before occupancy is allowed. New solid waste disposal facilities, hazardous waste management facilities, salvage yards and chemical storage facilities are flatly barred from special flood hazard areas except by variance under section 12-62.

The administrator can also issue stop-work orders for construction underway in violation of the article, and disobeying a stop-work order is itself a misdemeanor under section 12-256(p).