Norfolk, VA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

5-7(e), the department of public works checks every subdivision plat against the current FEMA flood insurance study for the city to determine whether the tract lies in a floodplain district (identified in the code as districts A-3, A-4, A-6, and coastal high-hazard district V-7) and whether proposed lots will be reasonably safe from flooding. The building official makes the initial call on where those district boundaries fall; if an applicant disputes the line, the board of zoning appeals resolves it, not the planning staff. Once a tract is confirmed to sit in a designated floodplain district, five design standards apply to the subdivision's infrastructure: new or replacement sanitary sewer lines and package treatment plants must be designed to keep floodwater from infiltrating the system and to stop sewage from discharging into flood flows; new water lines must likewise resist infiltration and flood damage; storm drainage facilities must convey surface water without damaging people or property, keep drainage away from buildings and septic sites, and the department of public works can require an underground system for frequent floods plus a secondary surface system for larger, rarer floods; gas, electric and phone lines should be elevated and located to resist flood impairment; and streets and sidewalks must be designed so they don't worsen flood flow, with drainage openings sized to pass flood discharge without raising flood heights further.

5-7(f), layers on stormwater BMP performance standards for larger single-family subdivisions. 5-13 upon a finding that topography or other conditions justify it, provided the reasons are recorded and the variance stays consistent with the chapter's intent.