Southaven, MS Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)
Key Facts
- Service equipment
- At least eighteen inches above base flood elevation
- Street reference
- Lowest floor one foot above designated street centerline
- Horizontal additions
- Lowest floor and HVAC at regulatory base flood elevation
- Fill extent
- Ten to fifteen feet beyond building walls
- Critical facilities
- Three feet six inches above base flood elevation
- Maximum penalty
- $500.00 fine or thirty days, or both
Summary
In the City of Southaven, Section 6-30 sets citywide elevation standards in special flood hazard areas: service equipment at least 18 inches above base flood elevation, the lowest floor of any building at least one foot above the centerline of the designated street, and new horizontal additions with the lowest floor and HVAC at the regulatory base flood elevation.
(5)Electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, air conditioning equipment and other service facilities shall be designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding, such facilities shall be located a minimum of eighteen (18) inches above the base flood elevation. ... (12)When new construction and substantial improvements are located in multiple flood zones or in a flood zone with multiple base flood elevations, they shall meet the requirement for the more stringent flood zone and the highest base flood elevation.(13)New construction and substantial improvement of any building (both in and outside the SFHA) shall have the lowest floor (including basement) at least one (1) foot above the centerline of the designated street, unless the topography of the property does not allow for strict adherence as determined by the floodplain administrator.(14)All new horizontal additions must have the lowest floor and all HVAC elevated to the regulatory base flood elevation.
Full Breakdown
Section 6-30 lists the general standards required in all areas of special flood hazard in the City of Southaven, in addition to the zone-specific rules that follow it. Subsection (5) requires electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities to be designed or located so water cannot enter or accumulate in the components during flooding, and places them a minimum of eighteen inches above the base flood elevation.
Subsection (12) settles overlaps: new construction and substantial improvements in multiple flood zones, or in a zone with multiple base flood elevations, meet the requirement for the more stringent zone and the highest base flood elevation. Subsection (13) reaches buildings both in and outside the special flood hazard area, requiring the lowest floor, including basement, to sit at least one foot above the centerline of the designated street, unless the floodplain administrator determines the topography does not allow strict adherence. Subsection (14) requires new horizontal additions to have the lowest floor and all HVAC elevated to the regulatory base flood elevation.
Subsections (9) and (10) pull repairs into the same net: any alteration, repair, reconstruction or improvement to a compliant building must meet the requirements of new construction, and work on a non-compliant building proceeds only if the non-conformity is brought up to new construction standards. Subsection (15) governs buildings on fill, allowed only outside the community flood hazard area and Coastal AE Zone: compacted fill extends ten to fifteen feet beyond the building walls, compaction reaches ninety-five percent of maximum density on the Standard Proctor Test, and slopes are no steeper than one foot vertical to two feet horizontal.
Section 6-34 sets a higher mark for critical facilities in the special flood hazard area, requiring the lowest floor three feet six inches above the base flood elevation or at the two-tenths percent chance flood elevation, whichever is greater. Section 6-22(4)h has the floodplain administrator verify that utilities, duct-work and HVAC systems sit at or above the base flood elevation.
Violations & Fines
Section 6-19 makes any violation of Title VI, including a failure to meet these elevation standards, a misdemeanor. On conviction the fine is not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, plus costs and expenses, and each act and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. The administrator also has stop-work and permit revocation authority under Section 6-22.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high must HVAC and utilities sit in a Southaven flood zone?
What is the street centerline rule in Southaven?
Which standard applies when a site lies in more than one flood zone?
Can a Southaven building be raised on fill to meet elevation rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Southaven
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