Racine County, WI Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Racine County, WI, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- State Statute
- Wis. Stat. §87.30 (Floodplain Zoning Required)
- Admin Code
- Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 116
- Freeboard
- 2 feet above regional flood elevation
- Floodway Construction
- Prohibited (NR 116.13)
- Mapped Rivers
- Root, Fox, Pike
- Coastal Hazard
- Lake Michigan shoreline
Summary
Wis. Stat. §87.30 requires every Wisconsin city, village, town, and county with FEMA-mapped floodplain to adopt a floodplain zoning ordinance meeting Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 116 and 44 CFR 59-72 (NFIP). Racine County participates in the NFIP and regulates floodplains along the Root River, Fox River, Pike River, and the Lake Michigan shoreline. Wisconsin's flood protection elevation is 2 feet above the regional (1% annual chance) flood elevation - a state-mandated freeboard stricter than the FEMA minimum.
87.30(1)(a) (a) If any county, city or village does not adopt a reasonable and effective floodplain zoning ordinance within one year after hydraulic and engineering data adequate to formulate the ordinance becomes available, the department shall, upon petition of an interested state agency or a municipality or upon its own motion as soon as practicable and after public hearing, determine and fix by order the limits of any or all floodplains within a county, city or village within which serious damage may occur. Thereafter the department shall as soon as practicable after public hearing adopt a floodplain zoning ordinance applicable to a county, city or village, except that no floodplain zoning ordinance may be enacted unless the hydraulic and engineering studies necessary to determine the floodway or floodplain limits, or both, if both limits are deemed necessary by the department, have been made at state or federal expense. 87.30(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b) , every structure, building, fill, or development placed or maintained within any floodplain in violation of a zoning ordinance adopted under this section, or s. 59.69 , 61.35 or 62.23 is a public nuisance and the creation thereof may be enjoined and maintenance thereof may be abated by action at suit of any municipality, the state or any citizen thereof. Any person who places or maintains any structure, building, fill or development within any floodplain in violation of a zoning ordinance adopted under this section, or s. 59.69 , 61.35 or 62.23 may be fined not more than $50 for each offense. Each day during which such violation exists is a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Wis. 30(1) compels each county to adopt a reasonable and effective floodplain zoning ordinance for unincorporated land within the 100-year floodplain, and Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 116 (Wisconsin's Floodplain Management Program) sets the minimum standards that the county and each municipality must meet to keep NFIP eligibility. Racine County's floodplain controls are administered by Public Works and Development Services through Chapter 20's Floodplain Zoning provisions and operate as an overlay on FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). 03(28), Wisconsin defines the 'flood protection elevation' as 2 feet above the regional flood elevation, building a 2-foot freeboard into the state code.
13 prohibits new residential, commercial, and industrial structures in the floodway; in the flood fringe, residential structures must have the lowest floor (including basement) at or above the flood protection elevation, and accessory structures may not be inundated more than 2 feet or subjected to flood velocities greater than 2 feet per second during the regional flood. 21(4)(b) bars variances that would allow a lower degree of flood protection than the flood protection elevation. Racine County's exposure includes the Root River corridor (flowing east through Caledonia and the City of Racine into Lake Michigan), the Fox River through Burlington and Waterford, the Pike River, and the Lake Michigan coastal shoreline.
The Wisconsin DNR maintains effective floodplain mapping; FEMA's Flood Map Service Center publishes the official FIRMs for Racine County. Property owners may use the county's online Floodplain Inquiry Map Application to check whether a parcel is in a Special Flood Hazard Area.
Violations & Fines
Construction, fill, or grading in a regulated floodplain without a floodplain zoning permit and any required Wisconsin DNR or FEMA approval is a violation of the local floodplain ordinance, Wis. Stat. §87.30, NR 116, and 44 CFR 60. Penalties include daily forfeitures set by the county or municipality, restoration orders, and possible NFIP suspension of the community. Lenders enforce mandatory flood insurance for federally backed mortgages on properties in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above the flood elevation must my home be in Racine County?
How do I find out if my Racine County property is in a flood zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Racine County
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