A. Purpose: It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health, safety and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed to:
1. Protect human life and health;
2. Minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
3. Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
4. Minimize prolonged business interruptions;
5. Minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, streets and bridges located in floodplains;
6. Help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of flood prone areas in such a manner as to minimize future flood blight areas; and
7. Ensure that potential buyers are notified that property is in a flood area. (1985 Code § 12-402)
B. Methods Of Reducing Flood Losses: In order to accomplish its purposes, this chapter uses the following methods:
1. Restrict or prohibit uses that are dangerous to health, safety or property in times of flood, or cause excessive increases in flood heights or velocities;
2. Require that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
3. Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers, which are involved in the accommodation of floodwaters;
4. Control filling, grading, dredging and other development which may increase flood damage; or
5. Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert floodwaters or which may increase flood hazards to other lands. (1985 Code § 12-403)
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