Summit County, OH Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Chapter 1345, Special Purpose Flood Damage Reduction, governs construction in special flood hazard areas identified on the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Map for Summit County, Ohio and Incorporated Areas, both effective April 19, 2016 (Sec. 01(f)). The chapter applies only to the unincorporated areas of the county; Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton, Stow, Hudson and the county's other incorporated cities administer their own flood ordinances. The Chief Building Official serves as the Floodplain Administrator and evaluates applications, interprets floodplain boundaries, issues or denies permits, inspects sites, keeps FEMA map and permit records, and conducts substantial-damage determinations (Sec.

03(b)). Before any filling, grading, construction, alteration, remodeling, expansion of a structure, or alteration of a watercourse wholly or partly within a special flood hazard area, the owner or an authorized agent must obtain a floodplain development permit and pay the application fee set by the county's Schedule of Fees (Sec. 03(c), (d)(6)). The application must include a scaled site plan, natural-ground elevation, and lowest-floor elevation of proposed structures, and, where applicable, a design professional's floodproofing certification, hydrostatic-equalization certification, or a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis showing the project will not raise the base flood elevation by more than one foot (Sec.

03(d)). C. 85 to keep the county eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program, and the more restrictive of these rules or any other zoning, subdivision, or deed restriction controls in a conflict (Sec. 01(a), (g)).