Fairfield County, CT Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Connecticut's coastal towns sit on Long Island Sound and are heavily exposed to coastal flooding. The Connecticut Coastal Management Act (CCMA), Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 22a-90 through 22a-112, establishes a coastal boundary that extends inland to the 100-year coastal flood elevation, 1,000 feet from mean high water, or 1,000 feet from the inland boundary of tidal wetlands, whichever is farthest inland (Sec. 22a-94). Coastal site plan review by the local Planning & Zoning Commission is required for development within the coastal boundary under Sec. 22a-109. Public Act 12-101 (2012) incorporated sea-level-rise considerations into the goals and policies of the CCMA. Connecticut also requires not less than an additional two feet of freeboard above the base flood elevation for properties within the coastal boundary, plus additional freeboard reflecting the most recent sea-level-rise scenario. The state Flood Management Act, Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 476a, requires state agency activities in floodplains to comply with FEMA NFIP standards. Activities in tidal, coastal, or navigable waters require a Structures, Dredging and Fill permit from CT DEEP under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 22a-361. Each Fairfield County municipality adopts and administers a local flood-damage-prevention ordinance to maintain NFIP eligibility, with permits issued by the local Building Department.