Houston County, GA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

3 of the Comprehensive Land Development Regulations creates the FH, Flood Hazard District to restrict or prohibit uses which may be dangerous to health, safety, or property in times of flood, or which may cause increased flood heights or velocities. S. Army Corps of Engineers in June 1975, kept on file with the Zoning Enforcement Officer. Only limited 'open-type' uses are permitted, subject to Board of Zoning Appeals approval: agriculture, railroads, streets, bridges and utility lines, parks and outdoor clubs, and campgrounds adjacent to agricultural or residential districts, plus commercial recreation uses like marinas and drive-in theaters adjacent to commercial districts, and storage yards and parking lots adjacent to industrial districts, so long as no principal building sits in the floodway.

4 requires that no permit be issued for construction of any building or structure, including railroads, streets, bridges, and utility lines, or for any use within the district, until plans have been submitted to the Board of Zoning Appeals and approval given in writing. The Board must apply standards designed to keep the floodway clear, including a flat ban on structures for human habitation and a requirement that permitted structures be firmly anchored to prevent floating away. Separately, Code § 30-141 adopts the county's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, keyed to FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps dated September 28, 2007, as the county's floodplain management policy for all of unincorporated Houston County, working alongside these older zoning-based FH District standards.