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

1(1) of the Zoning Resolution makes it unlawful to commence excavation, construct or alter any building or accessory structure, or fill land within a flood prone area without first obtaining a permit from the Building Commissioner; agricultural uses and activities are exempted under Subpart 2 of that section. 5 spells out what the Building Commissioner must do to enforce the Floodplain District rules: review every development permit to confirm the site will be reasonably safe from flooding, advise permittees when a Section 404 Clean Water Act permit or other federal/state permit is needed, and notify adjacent communities and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development before any watercourse is relocated, submitting proof of that notice to FEMA.

The Commissioner must also verify and record the elevation of the lowest floor of new or substantially improved buildings, verify the elevation to which a building has been flood-proofed, and obtain a registered engineer's or architect's certification whenever flood-proofing is used. Where base flood elevation or floodway data has not been supplied for a parcel in Zone A, the Commissioner is directed to pull the best available federal or state data before allowing new construction. 6(4) bars any expansion of a nonconforming use that would violate the county's separate Flood Hazard Prevention Ordinance adopted under the National Flood Insurance Program.

7(5), a companion instrument to this Zoning Resolution. This zoning authority reaches only the unincorporated county; Kingsport, Bristol and Bluff City administer their own floodplain permitting inside city limits.