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

Chapter 38 of the Wayne County Code governs development inside special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) shown on FEMA flood maps for unincorporated Wayne County. Before any structure is located, extended, converted, altered, or developed within an SFHA, the owner must apply to the floodplain administrator, a role assigned to the county planning director under Sec. 38-32. Sec. 38-33(a) lists what the application must include: a plot plan certified by a registered land surveyor or professional engineer showing the development's location and elevations, the boundary of the SFHA and any floodway or nonencroachment area, the base flood elevation where available, proposed elevations for the structure's reference level and utilities in relation to NAVD 1988, and certification that all other local, state, and federal permits have been secured.

Manufactured homes, floodproofing plans, and recreational vehicle placements each carry their own documentation requirements under the same section. Once a permit issues, the permit holder must submit an elevation certificate (FEMA Form 086-0-33) before construction starts and a final as-built certificate before the county will issue a certificate of compliance or occupancy, per Sec. 38-33(c). The floodplain administrator reviews every application, coordinates with FEMA and the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management on watercourse changes, and can issue stop-work orders or revoke a permit for false statements or a substantial departure from the approved plans, under Sec. 38-34. A separate variance process runs through the Wayne County Board of Adjustment for hardship cases, per Sec. 38-36.