Greene County, MO Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Greene County's Floodplain Management Ordinance is incorporated into the Greene County Zoning Regulations as Article XXI. Administration is handled by the Resource Management Department's Environmental Services Division (the County's Environmental office), with Planning and Zoning handling reviews tied to the FEMA Floodplain Management Program. Areas mapped on the effective FIRM as numbered or unnumbered A zones (including AE, AH, and AO) form the County's Floodplain Overlay District; where a regulatory floodway has been mapped, the overlay is further divided into a Floodway Overlay District (where development is essentially prohibited absent a no-rise certification) and a Floodway Fringe Overlay District. A Floodplain Development Permit must be obtained before any new construction, substantial improvement (improvement equal to or exceeding 50 percent of pre-improvement market value), fill, grading, or placement of a manufactured home in the Special Flood Hazard Area. Lowest-floor elevation must equal or exceed the Base Flood Elevation, and structures must use flood-resistant materials below the BFE, be properly anchored, and have utilities elevated, consistent with 44 CFR §60.3(d). Floodway development requires a registered Missouri professional engineer to certify that the proposed work will cause no rise in the base flood elevation. FEMA released new preliminary FIRMs and a Flood Insurance Study for Springfield and Greene County in May 2019, working through the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). NFIP flood insurance is required for any federally-backed mortgage on an SFHA property under 42 U.S.C. §4012a. Major flooding watersheds in Greene County include the James River and Wilson Creek.