Information About New Flood Maps and Flood Ordinance Changes
Brunswick County has adopted new flood maps and amended the County’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Brunswick County adopted the flood maps and ordinance effective December 6th, 2019, during the scheduled public hearing held on November 18th, 2019 in the Commissioners’ chambers. (public hearing details can be found here).
Background
FEMA regularly updates Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) using studies to improve the maps and ensure their accuracy. The last maps FEMA approved for our area were adopted in 2019. Now that FEMA has approved updated maps, and Brunswick County has adopted them, we can continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The previous Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance that were in place for Brunswick County were adopted June 2, 2006. The current Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) were issued by FEMA on March 31, 2015 with a 90-day appeals period to submit Technical Information on flood elevations. All the appeals submitted during the appeal period were resolved and FEMA issued a Letter of Final Determination on February 28, 2018, which stated the maps and ordinance will become effective on August 28, 2018. The current FIRMs were again revised on December 6, 2019 to include the outer lying map panels of Brunswick County.
View Maps and Ordinance
To view the current effective maps, visit the State’s Flood Risk Information System (FRIS)- Flood Maps, which will automatically show the current effective maps.
View the current Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance here.
View Flood Risk Information at Flood.NC.gov here.
View FEMA Letter of Revalidation of Existing Letter of Map Changes
If you have any further questions, please contact Brunswick County Floodplain Administration at 910.253.2046 or by email at john.shirk@brunswickcountync.gov.
If Brunswick County Did Not Adopt the Proposed Changes, Then:
- Flood insurance would no longer be available. No building owner would be able to purchase a new flood insurance policy or renew an existing flood insurance policy.
- No Federal Grants or Loans for structures would be made in identified flood hazards areas. This includes all Federal agencies such as Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Economic Development Administration (EDA), Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- No Federal disaster assistance would be provided to repair or replace structures in identified flood hazard areas for any flood-related damages. This includes FHA, the Farmers Home Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
- Conventional Mortgages. Lenders would make loans on structures in identified flood hazard areas of not-participating communities, but they:
a. would be required to notify the buyer or lessee that the property is in flood hazard area;
and
b. would be required to notify the buyer or lessee that the property in a flood hazard area is not eligible for Federal disaster relief in a flood-related declared disaster. - Loss of subsidized insurance for older structures. Actuarial rates would go into effect regardless of a community’s status in the program. Lacking proper controls, insurance premiums on non-compliant construction could prove prohibitive and
affect future property salability and values. Such a condition would be triggered by a community’s re-entry in the program at a later date.
