Gordon County, GA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Gordon 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
- FEMA study date adopted
- September 26, 2008
- Permit required
- Before any development activity
- Floodplain coordinator
- Director of Building Inspections
- Maximum penalty
- $500 fine or five days, or both
- Critical facilities
- Barred from 100-year and 500-year floodplains
- Variance and appeal body
- Gordon County Planning Commission
Summary
Anyone building in unincorporated Gordon County, Georgia needs a development permit before any work starts in an area of special flood hazard. The Unified Land Development Code adopts the FEMA Flood Insurance Study dated September 26, 2008, bars floodway encroachments, and punishes violations with a fine of up to $500, five days in jail, or both.
A.The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its Flood Insurance Study (FIS), dated September 26, 2008 with accompanying maps and other supporting data and any revision thereto, are adopted by reference and declared a part of this section. ... A development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this section prior to the commencement of any development activities. ... B.Any person who violates this section or fails to comply with any of its requirements shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned for not more than five (5) days, or both, and in addition, shall pay all costs and expenses involved in the case.C.Each day such violation continues shall be considered a separate offense. ... 1.Encroachments are prohibited, including earthen fill, new construction, substantial improvements or other development within the regulatory floodway.
Full Breakdown
Section 3.01 of the Unified Land Development Code is the county's flood damage prevention ordinance, and it applies to every area of special flood hazard in unincorporated Gordon County. Those areas are the ones identified in the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Study dated September 26, 2008, plus land known to have flooded historically. The study and maps are open for public inspection at the Gordon County Building, Planning and Development office, Wall Street Annex building, First Floor, 200 S. Wall Street, Calhoun, Georgia.
A development permit is required before any development begins. The Director of Building Inspections serves as floodplain coordinator and receives the application, which shows the elevation of the lowest floor, any flood-proofing elevation for a nonresidential building, and how any watercourse will be altered. After the lowest floor is built, the permit holder files an as-built elevation certification prepared by or under a registered land surveyor or professional engineer. Missing certifications or uncorrected deficiencies bring a stop-work order.
Section 3.01.17 requires new construction and substantial improvements to be anchored against flotation, built with flood-resistant materials, and equipped with heating, electrical, and plumbing components placed so water cannot enter them. Inside the regulatory floodway, encroachments including earthen fill and new construction are prohibited unless engineering analysis shows no rise in flood levels. On streams with no mapped base flood elevation, no structure or fill can sit within the stream width or 20 feet of the top of the bank, whichever is greater, without an engineer's certification. Critical facilities cannot be located in the 100-year or 500-year floodplain. Subdivisions or developments larger than 50 lots or five acres, whichever is less, must supply base flood elevation data.
The Gordon County Planning Commission hears variance requests and appeals from decisions of the Director of Building Inspections. No variance issues inside a floodway if flood levels would rise, and a person aggrieved by the Planning Commission can appeal to the Superior Court of Gordon County.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 3.01 is a criminal offense. On conviction a person is fined not more than $500 or jailed for not more than five days, or both, and pays all costs and expenses involved in the case. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense. The county can also take any other lawful action needed to prevent or remedy the violation, and a stop-work order follows when certifications are missing or corrections are not made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build in a flood hazard area in unincorporated Gordon County?
Where can I look at the flood maps for unincorporated Gordon County?
Can I fill or build in the regulatory floodway?
How do I ask for a flood variance or appeal a flood decision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gordon County
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