Horry County, SC Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Horry County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and enforces floodplain rules through Chapter 9 of the Code of Ordinances (Flood Damage Prevention and Control), which was substantially revised and adopted by Horry County Council in summer 2021 following the 2018 and 2019 hurricane and storm flooding events. Stormwater runoff and drainage standards are administered separately under Chapter 17.7 (Stormwater Management) and Chapter 16, Article IV (obstruction of drainage structures). The detailed FEMA Flood Insurance Study for Horry County analyzes coastal flooding from the Atlantic Ocean along the entire county shoreline and riverine flooding along the Waccamaw, Little Pee Dee, and Lumber river systems. Per Horry County Code Enforcement, buildings constructed in AE flood zones must be elevated so the lowest floor is at least 2 feet (24 inches) above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), and a finished construction Elevation Certificate completed by a licensed South Carolina surveyor or engineer must be submitted before final inspection. In coastal high hazard VE zones, the bottom of the lowest horizontal supporting member must be at least 2 feet above BFE, with breakaway walls and pile or column foundations as required by the SC Building Code and 44 CFR 60.3(e). In unnumbered Zone A areas (no published BFE), the lowest floor must be at least 24 inches above the highest adjacent grade. Manufactured/mobile homes must also be elevated 24 inches above BFE and properly anchored. A floodplain development permit is required in unincorporated Horry County any time construction value (materials and labor) reaches $500. Under the NFIP substantial improvement and substantial damage rule (50% of market value), repairs or improvements to existing structures trigger full compliance with current flood standards. Property owners can request Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letters of Map Revision (LOMR) through FEMA's Map Service Center. Horry County participates in the Community Rating System (CRS), which provides flood insurance premium discounts to policyholders.