Ulster County, NY Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

All Ulster County municipalities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and have adopted local floodplain laws conforming to 44 CFR Part 60. New construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA — Zone A, AE, VE) must have lowest floor elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE); Ulster County and most towns require 2 ft freeboard above BFE under local law. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) for Ulster County were updated in 2010 and partially revised post-Irene. Significant SFHA areas: Hudson River tidal floodplain in Kingston Rondout (Zone AE, BFE ~8-12 ft NAVD88) and Saugerties; Esopus Creek corridor through Shandaken, Phoenicia, Mount Tremper, Olive, and Kingston (Zone AE); Rondout Creek through Rosendale and Kingston; Wallkill River through New Paltz, Gardiner, and Shawangunk; Ashokan watershed tributaries. Tropical Storm Irene (August 2011) devastated the Esopus corridor — Phoenicia, Shandaken, and parts of Kingston saw record flooding, prompting post-disaster stream management projects. Substantial Improvement Rule: renovations/repairs exceeding 50% of pre-improvement market value must bring entire structure into full compliance. Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA) and Revision (LOMR) available from FEMA for properties incorrectly mapped. NYS DEC Flood Hazard Mitigation and 6 NYCRR Part 500 (Floodplain Construction) overlay additional requirements. Kingston and Saugerties have local waterfront revitalization programs requiring additional waterfront permit review.