Hinds County, MS Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

The Pearl River is central Mississippi's defining flood hazard. Major flood events occurred in 1961, the catastrophic April 1979 Easter Flood (reaching 43.28 feet at Jackson), the February 2020 flood, and August 2022. The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, along with FEMA, regulates development in the regulatory floodway and Special Flood Hazard Areas (100-year floodplain). Under Jackson Code Chapter 42 and the Hinds County floodplain ordinance, new construction in an SFHA must have the lowest floor elevated at least 1 foot above Base Flood Elevation (freeboard requirement). Substantial improvements (work exceeding 50% of market value) trigger full elevation compliance. Fill in the regulatory floodway is prohibited unless a no-rise certification demonstrates zero increase in BFE. Flood insurance via NFIP is required for federally-backed mortgages in any SFHA. Local neighborhoods with recurring flood risk include Northeast Jackson near the Pearl, parts of Belhaven, and low-lying stretches near I-55 and Lakeland Drive.