Elyria, OH Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Chapter 1386 covers the special flood hazard areas along the Black River and elsewhere in the City. Section 1386.06 adopts the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Map for Lorain County, Ohio and Incorporated Areas, both effective August 19, 2008, and the maps are on file in the Engineering Department at Elyria City Hall, 131 Court Street. Section 1386.14 then makes a floodplain development permit mandatory for filling, grading, construction, alteration, remodeling or expanding any structure, and alteration of any watercourse, wholly within, partially within or in contact with an identified special flood hazard area.

The City Engineer is the Floodplain Administrator (Section 1386.12). The owner or an authorized agent applies before work starts, with site plans drawn to scale, the elevation of the existing natural ground where structures are proposed, and the elevation of the lowest floor, including basement, of all proposed structures (Section 1386.15). Engineering certifications are added when they apply, such as floodproofing certification for non-residential structures. Within thirty days after receiving a complete application, the Floodplain Administrator approves or disapproves it, and a permit expires one year after issuance unless the activity has been substantially begun and is pursued to completion (Section 1386.16). The Administrator makes periodic inspections during construction (Section 1386.17), and after construction an FEMA Elevation Certificate completed by a registered surveyor records as-built elevations for new or substantially improved residential structures (Section 1386.18).

Exemptions are narrow. No application is needed for maintenance work such as roofing, painting and basement sealing, or for small nonstructural development valued at less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), and that dollar exemption never covers filling and grading (Section 1386.20). Section 1386.25(b) prohibits private water supply systems permitted under Ohio R.C. Chapter 3701, infectious waste treatment facilities, storage or processing of hazardous, flammable, radioactive, explosive or water reactive materials, and storage of material that could become buoyant in floodway areas.