FEMA flood zone rules in New York County, NY — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Much of Lower Manhattan, Battery Park City, and the Financial District lie in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas; construction must meet NYC Appendix G and Zoning Resolution Article VI Chapter 4.
New York County (Manhattan) includes extensive FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) along the Hudson, East River, and Harlem River waterfronts. Neighborhoods including Battery Park City, the Financial District, Lower East Side, and parts of Harlem are mapped in Zone AE. Buildings in SFHAs must comply with NYC Building Code Appendix G and NYC Zoning Resolution Article VI Chapter 4 (Special Regulations Applying in Flood Hazard Areas), which require elevation or dry floodproofing of the lowest occupied floor to or above Design Flood Elevation (DFE) — typically Base Flood Elevation plus 1 or 2 feet of freeboard. Substantial improvement triggers full compliance. Mandatory flood insurance applies to federally backed mortgages. Post-Sandy resiliency rules remain in force, and preliminary FEMA maps continue to evolve.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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See how New York County's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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