Floodplain Regulations

The primary means of regulating floodplains in the United States is through the National Flood Insurance Program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To participate in the Program, municipalities must adopt and enforce the federal floodplain regulations, however municipalities may also choose to adopt their own, more stringent, floodplain regulations.

Communities may institute a floodplain areas ordinance that limits certain types of development in a designated floodplain (such as the 500-year floodplain) and requires that preventative measures be taken to reduce the volume and velocity of runoff associated with development. The goal of such an ordinance is to protect against safety hazards and damages related to occasional flooding.