Cleveland County, NC Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)

Section 12-258 of the Unified Development Ordinance's floodplain article sets the elevation standard once base flood elevation data is available: residential structures, including manufactured homes, must have their reference level (including basement) elevated no lower than the regulatory flood protection elevation defined in section 12-21. Nonresidential structures carry the same elevation floor, but section 12-258(b) lets a commercial, industrial or other nonresidential building in an A, AE or A1-30 zone substitute floodproofing for elevation if every part of the structure below the regulatory flood protection elevation is watertight and can resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads, certified by a registered professional engineer or architect.

Manufactured homes must be anchored to resist flotation and lateral movement, and if the chassis elevation exceeds 36 inches, an engineering certification is required. Fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor of an elevated building cannot be used for human habitation and must include flood openings sized at one square inch of net opening per square foot of enclosed area, on at least two sides, with the lowest opening no higher than one foot above grade. These standards work alongside the general standards in section 12-257, which require new construction to be anchored against flotation and collapse and built with flood-resistant materials and methods.