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Floodplains are low-lying areas adjacent to rivers, lakes, and oceans that are periodically inundated by floodwater. In Boone several rivers and streams converge to form the headwaters of the South Fork of the New River, these rivers and streams though an amenity, have been the source of serious flooding problems for the Town. Although we have no control over the weather we can reduce the impact that flooding has on the Town and its citizens through sound floodplain management practices. In addition to floodplain management the town has adopted and enforces storm water management regulations that reduce the amount of storm water generated by new development.

In an effort to modify the Town’s susceptibility to flooding the Town of Boone entered the National Flood Insurance Program on September 28, 1979 . The National Flood Insurance Program is a Federal program which enables property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance as a protection against flood losses in exchange for State and community floodplain management regulations that reduce future flood damages. Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program is based on an agreement between communities and the Federal Government.

If a community adopts and enforces a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risk to new construction, the Federal Government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses. This insurance is designed to provide an insurance alternative to disaster assistance and reduce the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods. As a condition of participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, the Town of Boone has adopted and enforces floodplain management regulations.

These regulations restrict the type of development allowed in the Special Flood Hazard Area. A Special Flood Hazard Area is an area identified on a Flood Insurance Rate Map as being inundated by a flood that is expected to occur once every 100 years, also known as the 1% annual chance flood or the 100 year flood. The town has divided the Special Flood Hazard Area into two districts the Flood Fringe and the Floodway Zone. The Floodway Zone is defined as a zone around all streams with drainage areas greater than one square mile, extending fifty (50) feet from the center of a channel, or twenty five (25) feet from the top of the bank, or to the limit of the mapped Floodway as shown on the most recent Flood Insurance Rate Map, whichever is greater. Any stream culverted on or before September 23, 1986 , has a floodway of twenty (20) feet from the center of the culvert or to the limit of the mapped floodway as shown on the most recent Flood Insurance Rate Map, whichever is greater.

The Flood Fringe is an area lying outside the Floodway, but within the Floodplain typically shown as zone A or AE on the Flood Insurance Rate Map. Generally construction within the Floodway Zone is not permitted. Before any development can take place on a property where a portion of or the entire tract is located in the Special Flood Hazard Area a determination must be made that the proposed development is permitted on the property. The first step in this process is to locate the parcel on the Flood Insurance Rate Map and determine whether the proposed development would impact or be impacted by the Flood Fringe or Floodway. If it is determined that the proposed development would be within the Special Flood Hazard Area it is necessary to consult with the Environmental Planner and/or the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to determine what restrictions and standards must be applied to the proposed development.

For assistance in determining if a property is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area contact the Development Services Department at (828) 268-6960.