Sevier County, TN Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Floodplain regulation in Sevier County is divided between the unincorporated county (administered through the Sevier County Planning and Zoning Department) and the four incorporated municipalities, each of which has adopted its own flood damage prevention ordinance under FEMA's NFIP framework. The City of Sevierville enforces flood damage prevention provisions within Title 14 of the Sevierville Municipal Code, with a designated Building Official who also serves as Flood Plain Manager. Flood hazards across the county are depicted on the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map identified in FEMA records as 47155C, listed in FEMA's Tennessee community status book under FEMA Community ID 470236 for Sevier County. Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) in the county are predominantly Zone AE (1% annual chance flood with published Base Flood Elevations) along the West, Middle, and East Prongs of the Little Pigeon River, the Pigeon River, and tributaries such as Walden Creek, plus unnumbered Zone A areas in headwater streams. Under standard NFIP rules incorporated into the local ordinance and 44 CFR 60.3, new construction and substantial improvements within an SFHA must have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation, be properly anchored to resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement, and use flood-resistant materials below the BFE. Manufactured homes in SFHAs must be elevated and anchored. Substantial improvement or substantial damage equal to or exceeding 50% of market value triggers full compliance with current flood standards. A floodplain development permit is required for any construction, fill, grading, or other land disturbance within a mapped SFHA in unincorporated Sevier County, and is reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Department before a building permit is issued. FEMA partnered with Sevier County on a flood map update following multiple severe flood events; updated effective DFIRM panels and the corresponding Flood Insurance Study should be confirmed for each parcel through the FEMA Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov). Property owners who believe their structure is mistakenly mapped in an SFHA may apply to FEMA for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision (LOMR). The Sevier County Emergency Management Agency, in partnership with the Cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Pittman Center, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, operates a Contrail-based flood warning system that monitors stream flow, precipitation, and weather conditions on the Little Pigeon River and Waldens Creek watersheds, with the first sensor installed within 11 months after the July 2022 Pittman Center flood.