For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly requires a different meaning.
A ZONE. The portions of an SFHA in which the principal source of flooding is runoff from rainfall, snowmelt or a combination of both. In A ZONES, floodwaters may move slowly or rapidly, but waves are usually not a significant threat to buildings. These areas are labeled as Zone A, Zone AE, Zones A1-A30, Zone AH, Zone A99, Zone AO, and Zone AR on a FIRM. The definitions are presented below.
(1) ZONE A. Areas subject to inundation by the 1% annual chance flood event. Because detailed hydraulic analyses have not been performed, no base flood elevation or depths are shown.
(2) ZONE AE and ZONES A1-A30. Areas subject to inundation by the 1% annual chance flood event as determined by detailed methods. Base flood elevations are shown within these zones. ZONE AE is on new and revised maps in place of ZONES A1-A30.
(3) ZONE AH. Areas subject to inundation by 1% annual chance shallow flooding, usually areas of ponding, where the average depths are between one and three feet. Average flood depths derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown within this zone.
(4) ZONE A99. Areas subject to inundation by the 1% annual chance flood event, but which will ultimately be protected upon completion of an under construction federal flood protection system. These are areas of special flood hazard where enough progress has been made on the construction of a protection system, such as dikes, dams or levees, to consider it complete for insurance-rating purposes. ZONE A99 may only be used when the flood protection system has reached specified statutory progress toward completion. No base flood elevations or depths are shown.
(5) ZONE AO. Areas subject to inundation by 1% annual chance shallow flooding, usually sheet flow on sloping terrain, where the average depths are between one and three feet. Average flood depths derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown within this zone.
(6) ZONE AR. Areas which result from the decertification of a previously-accredited flood protection system that is determined to be in the process of being restored to provide base flood protection.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE or APPURTENANT STRUCTURE. A structure with a floor area 400 square feet or less which is located on the same parcel of property as the principal structure, and the use of which is incidental to the use of the principal structure. ACCESSORY STRUCTURES should constitute a minimal initial investment, may not be used for human habitation and shall be designed to have minimal flood damage potential. Examples of accessory structures are detached garages, carports, storage sheds, pole barns and hay sheds.
ADDITION or ADDITION TO AN EXISTING STRUCTURE. Any walled and roofed expansion to the perimeter of a structure in which the ADDITION is connected by a common load-bearing wall other than a firewall. Any walled and roofed addition which is connected by a firewall or is separated by independent perimeter load-bearing walls is NEW CONSTRUCTION.
APPEAL. A request for a review of the Floodplain Administrator’s interpretation of any provision of this chapter.
AREA OF SHALLOW FLOODING. A designated AO or AH Zone on the community’s flood insurance rate map (FIRM) with base flood depths from one to three feet where a clearly-defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate and where velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is characterized by ponding or sheet flow.
BASE FLOOD. The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
BASE FLOOD ELEVATION or BFE. The elevation of the 1% annual chance flood.
BASEMENT. The portion of a structure having its floor subgrade, or below ground level, on all sides.
BOUNDARY RIVER. The part of the Ohio River which forms the boundary between Kentucky and Indiana.
BOUNDARY RIVER FLOODWAY. The floodway of a boundary river.
BUILDING. See STRUCTURE.
COMMUNITY. A political entity which has the authority to adopt and enforce floodplain ordinances for the area under its jurisdiction.
COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM or CRS. A program developed by the Federal Insurance Administration to provide incentives for those communities in the regular Program which have gone beyond the minimum floodplain management requirements to develop extra measures to provide protection from flooding.
CRITICAL FACILITY. A facility for which even a slight chance of flooding might be too great. CRITICAL FACILITIES include, but are not limited to, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, police, fire and emergency response installations and installations which produce, use or store hazardous materials or hazardous wastes.
DEVELOPMENT.
(1) Any human-made change to improved or unimproved real estate including, but not limited to:
(a) The construction, reconstruction or placement of a structure or any addition to a structure;
(b) Installing a manufactured home on a site, preparing a site for a manufactured home or installing a recreational vehicle on a site for more than 180 days;
(c) Installing utilities, erecting walls and fences, constructing roads or similar projects;
(d) The construction of flood control structures such as levees, dikes, dams, channel improvements and the like;
(e) Mining, dredging, filling, grading, excavating or drilling operations;
(f) The construction or reconstruction of bridges or culverts;
(g) The storage of materials; or
(h) Any other activity which might change the direction, height or velocity of floodwaters or surface waters.
(2) DEVELOPMENT does not include activities such as activities for the maintenance of existing structures and facilities, such as painting, reroofing, resurfacing roads or gardening, or plowing and similar agricultural practices which do not involve filling, grading, excavating or the construction of permanent structures.
ELEVATED STRUCTURE. A non-basement structure built to have the lowest floor elevated above the ground level by means of fill, solid foundation perimeter walls, filled stem wall foundations, also called chain walls, pilings or columns such as posts and piers.
ELEVATION CERTIFICATE. A certified statement which verifies a structure’s elevation information.
EMERGENCY PROGRAM. The first phase under which a community participates in the NFIP. It is intended to provide a first-layer amount of insurance at subsidized rates on all insurable structures in that community before the effective date of the initial FIRM.
EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. A manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which the manufactured homes are to be affixed, including, at minimum, the installation of utilities, the construction of streets and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads, is completed before the effective date of the community’s first floodplain ordinance.
EXPANSION TO AN EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOME PARK OR SUBDIVISION. The preparation of additional sites by the construction of facilities for servicing the lots on which manufactured homes are to be affixed, including the installation of utilities, the construction of streets and either final site grading or the pouring of concrete pads.
FEMA. The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FLOOD. A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the unusual and rapid accumulation, overflow or runoff of surface waters from any source.
FLOOD BOUNDARY AND FLOODWAY MAP or FBFM. An official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or Federal Insurance Administration (FIA) has delineated the areas of flood hazard and regulatory floodways.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP or FIRM. An official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY or FIS. The official hydraulic and hydrologic report provided by FEMA. The report contains flood profiles, as well as the FIRM, the FBFM, where applicable, and the water surface elevation of the base flood.
FLOOD-PRONE AREA. Any land area which is acknowledged by a community as being susceptible to inundation by water from any source. See FLOOD.
FLOOD PROTECTION GRADE or FPG. The elevation of the regulatory flood plus two feet at any given location in the SFHA. See FREEBOARD.
FLOODPLAIN. The channel proper and the areas adjoining any wetland, lake or watercourse which have been or hereafter may be covered by the regulatory flood. The FLOODPLAIN includes both the floodway and the fringe districts.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT. The operation of an overall program of corrective and preventive measures for reducing flood damage and for preserving, and where possible, enhancing, the natural resources in a floodplain. This includes, but is not limited to, open space plans, emergency preparedness plans, flood control works and floodplain management regulations.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS. This chapter and other zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes, health regulations and special purpose ordinances and other applications of police power.
(Ord. 2014-05, passed 5-5-2014)