Union County, NC Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Article 65 of the Unified Development Ordinance, effective since October 6, 2008, governs all special flood hazard areas identified on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps adopted for Union County, with the original unincorporated-area map dated July 18, 1983. 020's General Standards require that all new construction and substantial improvements be designed and adequately anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, and lateral movement, and be built with materials and methods that resist and minimize flood damage. Utility equipment, HVAC systems, water heaters, and electrical panels must be located or designed to keep water from entering or accumulating in them during a flood up to the regulatory flood protection elevation, and new water supply and sewage systems must be designed to prevent floodwater infiltration.

New solid waste disposal facilities, hazardous waste management facilities, salvage yards, and chemical storage facilities are flatly not permitted in a special flood hazard area except by variance. Subdivision proposals must be designed to minimize flood damage, keep utilities out of harm's way, provide adequate drainage, and secure all required state and federal permits, including Clean Water Act Section 404 permits. When a lot spans multiple flood zones or base flood elevations, the more restrictive zone and the highest elevation control. These rules apply throughout unincorporated Union County; municipalities with their own flood ordinance adopt separate maps and standards for their corporate and extraterritorial limits.