Greenwood, IN Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Greenwood's Flood Hazard Overlay District, UDO Sec. 10-02-31, covers the SFHA, land with a one percent or greater annual chance of flooding, plus the more restrictive floodway. No structure may be located, extended, converted, or structurally altered in the SFHA, and no land or stream in the SFHA may be altered, without full compliance with the section. Before any development activity, including new construction, fill, grading, excavation, utility work, fences, or placing a manufactured home, an applicant must get a Floodplain Development Permit from the City's Floodplain Administrator, a duty the Common Council assigned to the Planning Director.

Applications must include scaled plans showing existing and proposed structures, fill, storage of materials, and drainage facilities, with elevations tied to the base flood elevation. Where multiple flood zones or base flood elevations affect one site, the most restrictive standard governs the whole development. Variances are available only through the section's formal variance procedure, and the Floodplain Administrator must warn a violator that a willful violation can trigger suspension of coverage under a Standard Flood Insurance Policy. The 12 stated objectives behind the district include protecting human life, minimizing public expenditure on flood control and rescue efforts, and preserving the floodplain's natural storage and conveyance capacity.