Kershaw County, SC Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Kershaw County, SC, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Enforcing official
- Planning and zoning director (local administrator)
- Permit required
- Development permit before flood-hazard-area work
- Flood map
- FEMA Flood Insurance Study, Sept. 28, 2018
- Critical facilities
- Elevated to 500-year flood elevation
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Kershaw County flood zones
Summary
No one may develop land, build, or alter a structure within a Kershaw County special flood hazard area without first getting a development permit under Chapter 16. The planning and zoning director, acting as local administrator, reviews every site for flood safety, and violators face up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail.
Sec. 16-5. - Establishment of development permit. A development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this chapter prior to the commencement of any development activities. ... Sec. 16-64. - General standards. Development may not occur in the floodplain where alternative locations exist due to the inherent hazards and risks involved. Before a permit is issued, the applicant shall demonstrate that new structures cannot be located out of the floodplain and that encroachments onto the floodplain are minimized. In all areas of special flood hazard, the following provisions are required: (1)Reasonably safe from flooding. Review all permit applications to determine whether proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding.(2)Anchoring. All new construction and substantial improvements shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement of the structure. ... Sec. 16-10. - Penalties for violation. ... Any person who violates this chapter or fails to comply with any of its requirements shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $500.00 or imprisoned for not more than 30 days, or both.
Full Breakdown
Section 16-5 requires a development permit before any development activity begins in an area of special flood hazard, as mapped in the county's FEMA Flood Insurance Study dated September 28, 2018 (§ 16-4). Section 16-64's general standards require every permit application to be reviewed for whether the proposed building site is reasonably safe from flooding, and require new construction and substantial improvements to be anchored against flotation, collapse, or lateral movement, built with flood-resistant materials meeting FEMA Technical Bulletin 2, and designed to minimize flood damage.
Utilities, water supply systems and sanitary sewage systems must be designed or located to keep floodwater out, and gas or liquid storage tanks must be anchored against flotation. Critical development, such as jails, hospitals, schools, fire stations, nursing homes and water or wastewater plants, must be elevated to the 500-year flood elevation or the highest known historical flood elevation, whichever is greater. The planning and zoning director serves as the county's local administrator under § 16-41, reviewing permits, making on-site inspections, and interpreting flood hazard boundaries where a mapped line and actual field conditions disagree.
Nonconforming buildings already in the floodway cannot be enlarged or rebuilt except in conformance with the chapter, though like-for-like repair without increasing the structure's bulk below the base flood elevation is allowed.
Violations & Fines
Violating any Chapter 16 requirement, including conditions attached to a variance or special exception, is a misdemeanor under § 16-10, punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each day of the violation a separate offense. The local administrator can also issue a stop-work order, revoke the development permit, and, after a hearing, order a noncompliant structure altered, vacated or demolished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build in a Kershaw County flood zone?
What must a new structure in the floodplain be built to withstand?
Are hospitals and schools held to a higher flood standard?
What is the penalty for violating Kershaw County's flood ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kershaw County
Compare Kershaw County to another location·View the South Carolina environmental rules overview
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