(A) Statutory authorization. The Legislature of the state has in G.S. Chapter 143, Article 21, Part 6; G.S. Chapter 160D, all of the state general statutes, delegated the responsibility to local governmental units to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its citizenry.
(B) Findings of fact. The flood prone areas within the jurisdiction of the county are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life, property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures of flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety, and general welfare. These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in the floodplain causing increases in flood heights and velocities, and by the occupancy in flood prone areas of uses vulnerable to floods or hazardous.
(C) Statement of purpose. It is the purpose of this section to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions within flood prone areas by provisions designed to:
(1) Restrict or prohibit uses that are dangerous to health, safety, and property due to water or erosion hazards or that result in damaging increases in erosion or 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 that may increase erosion or flood damage; and
(5) Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers that will unnaturally divert floodwaters or which may increase flood hazards to other lands.
(Ord. passed 10-17-2011; Res. passed 11-16-2020)