Tonawanda, NY Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)

Town Code § 92-4D governs what an applicant must submit to the Town Engineer, the local administrator, when applying for a floodplain development permit. Under § 92-4D(1), the application for any new or substantially improved structure proposed for a Special Flood Hazard Area must state the proposed elevation, in relation to mean sea level, of the lowest floor, including any basement or cellar. That is not the end of the obligation: once the lowest floor is completed, § 92-4H(1) requires the permit holder to submit a certification of the as-built elevation, prepared by or under the direct supervision of a licensed land surveyor or professional engineer.

A parallel rule under § 92-4D(1.1), added April 19, 2021, by Local Law No. 2-2021, applies in the Town's coastal high-hazard Zones V1-V30 and VE: there the applicant must instead state the elevation of the bottom of the lowest structural member of the lowest floor, excluding pilings and columns, with the same as-built certification required after construction. The Town Engineer reviews this elevation data as part of permit application review under § 92-4E before any permit issues, and manufactured homes and recreational vehicles left on site 180 days or more must also submit an elevation certificate.