FEMA flood zone rules in Washington County, AR — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Washington County and its cities enforce FEMA floodplain standards under the NFIP. New buildings in the Special Flood Hazard Area along the White and Illinois River systems must be elevated above base flood elevation.
Washington County and cities like Fayetteville and Springdale all participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and enforce floodplain management ordinances, with Fayetteville regulating under UDC Chapter 168. In a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, the 100-year floodplain mapped along the West Fork White River, Illinois River, and their tributaries, new structures must have the lowest floor elevated above base flood elevation, usually with added freeboard. Substantial improvements to existing buildings trigger the same elevation rule. No fill or obstruction is allowed in the regulatory floodway. A federally backed mortgage inside the SFHA requires flood insurance.
Building below the required flood elevation forces costly retrofits and fines, and floodway encroachments must be removed. Letting mandatory flood insurance lapse leads to lender force-placement at a higher premium.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washington County, AR
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Washington County, AR
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Washington County, AR
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Washington County, AR
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Washington County, AR
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Washington County, AR
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See how Washington County's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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