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Scurry County discusses adopting flood‑damage prevention ordinance to preserve NFIP participation
Summary
County staff recommended adopting a local flood damage prevention ordinance required for continued participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); court discussed mapping gaps, administrator duties, fee‑for‑service engineering, permit procedures and placed the ordinance on the next agenda with a tentative Nov. 4 effective discussion date.
Scurry County commissioners court discussed adopting a flood damage prevention ordinance to maintain eligibility for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Speaker 1 explained that without a qualifying ordinance a community identified as flood‑prone could lose NFIP participation, a sanction that would prevent residents from purchasing or renewing flood insurance and could make federal grants and disaster assistance unavailable for development in identified flood hazard areas. The court reviewed required elements such as permit and variance procedures, designation of a floodplain administrator, use of FEMA Flood Insurance Studies (FIS) and firm/n (FIRM/FHBM) maps, and standards for new and substantially improved construction in special flood hazard areas.
Court members discussed limited flood zones in the county, specific mapped areas near local landmarks and the challenge of finding up‑to‑date FEMA panels online. Staff noted that some jurisdictions contract engineering review on a fee‑for‑service basis (e.g., Gibson/Todd/Hibbs) and suggested the county could follow a similar model rather than hiring a full‑time administrator. The court agreed to place the ordinance on the next agenda to advance details; a tentative implementation/notice period beginning Nov. 4 was discussed so the county can pursue grant funding that requires NFIP participation.
No final ordinance text or vote occurred; court members instructed staff to research mapping, administrator arrangements, fees, and engineering options and to return with draft language and cost estimates.
