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FEMA requires Chattanooga floodplain-code updates; staff warn noncompliance could cost federal insurance access and disaster aid
Summary
City staff told council that FEMA will issue updated flood maps and that the city must adopt corresponding ordinance language and about 35 definition updates to remain compliant with the National Flood Insurance Program; failure to update would risk loss of subsidized federal flood insurance and eligibility for federal disaster assistance.
City planning and land-use staff told the Chattanooga City Council on Nov. 4 that FEMA is issuing updated Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panels on Nov. 28 and that the city must update its floodplain ordinance and definitions to maintain compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
"Failing to adopt a new ordinance will result in us having a non‑compliant status with the NFIP," Ken Martin, the city's floodplain coordinator, told council. He warned that noncompliance would jeopardize residents' access to subsidized, federally backed flood insurance and could affect the city's eligibility for federal disaster funding.
Darienne Gilkinson, assistant director of Land Development Office, said FEMA provided updated ordinance language and that staff was incorporating approximately 35 updated definitions into the municipal code. Staff also proposed some locally tailored clarifications to make the ordinance more readable for residents and to allow limited recreational uses in certain floodway areas—such as riverwalks and bank stabilization—while explicitly retaining the prohibition on structures where appropriate.
Council members sought specifics. They asked whether FEMA recommended physical upgrades (for example to a levee in District 5) and whether the federal disaster process had changed. Martin said the FEMA updates addressed map panels rather than tactical levee upgrades; he explained that maintaining an NFIP‑compliant ordinance preserves eligibility for federal assistance in a declared disaster.
Chairwoman Robyn Hill asked staff and the city attorney to reformat staff-recommended language to make it clearer for residents; staff said they would revise the draft and circulate handouts and the updated text ahead of the Nov. 18 meeting.
Why it matters: The ordinance update is not optional; NFIP participation and access to federal disaster and subsidized-insurance benefits depend on adopting FEMA's required minimum standards. The changes also clarify what kinds of public uses (recreation, access) are permitted in floodway areas and refine technical definitions that affect permitting and development.
What’s next: Staff will publish the revised draft language and handouts, circulate them to council, and return to committee on Nov. 18 for additional review ahead of formal action.
