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Southampton board adopts updated floodplain ordinance to meet FEMA deadline, keeps 18-inch freeboard
Summary
County planners said FEMA and state agencies required adoption of updated floodplain regulations by March 17, 2026; the board adopted an ordinance that keeps an 18-inch freeboard instead of a larger FEMA recommendation to balance insurance eligibility and construction costs.
The Southampton County Board voted Feb. 24 to adopt an updated floodplain ordinance required by FEMA and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Community Development Director Mace Reagan Prince told the board the county received updated floodplain maps in December and has until March 17, 2026 to adopt the ordinance to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Prince and county engineering staff explained the update and the concept of "freeboard" (additional elevation above mapped base flood elevations). FEMA had recommended a higher freeboard target for some communities; county staff recommended retaining an 18-inch freeboard to minimize construction cost impacts while meeting the program's basic compliance requirements.
Jack Cloud, engineering staff, described how elevations and finished-floor heights are used in the calculations and warned that errors in surveys or incomplete documentation could create unintended burdens for property owners. Community commenters included certified floodplain managers and residents who urged quick adoption to preserve insurance availability — "If you don't adopt this by the seventeenth, you will be in a bad situation...you will no longer have flood insurance," said Danny Williams, a certified floodplain manager and Cortland resident.
After public comment and staff explanation that the adopted amendment met the National Flood Insurance Program requirements, the board voted to adopt the amended floodplain ordinance as recommended by staff.
Quote: "We received the updated floodplain maps back in December... it is required they have a deadline of 03/17/2026 that we have to adopt the updated floodplain ordinance," said Mace Reagan Prince, Community Development director.
Ending: The ordinance adoption keeps the county in compliance and protects residents' eligibility for federal flood insurance. Staff said the county would record the amendment and implement any necessary administrative updates to permitting and inspections.
