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Hickory council adopts flood-ordinance update aligning city rules with FEMA guidance
Summary
The council unanimously adopted text amendment 26‑03 to update the city’s flood damage prevention ordinance, adopting NAVD 1988 datum, clarifying definitions, and adding a five‑year 50% substantial-damage rule for pre‑FIRM structures; North Carolina Emergency Management must be consulted before variances.
The Hickory City Council unanimously adopted a major update to the city’s flood damage prevention ordinance on Tuesday to align local rules with FEMA guidance and technical standards.
Planning Manager Cal Overby told the council the rewrite replaces several chapters, updates definitions, and changes the vertical datum used for flood elevation measurements from an older standard to NAVD 1988. The ordinance also narrows where floodproofing is allowed (limited to nonresidential structures) and formalizes the floodplain administrator’s role in damage assessments.
Cal Overby said the draft adds provisions for ‘‘pre‑FIRM’’ structures (those built before the city’s 1974 map) and establishes that if a structure’s fair market value at first loss over a rolling five‑year period equals 50 percent of its pre‑loss value, the structure would no longer be permitted to be rebuilt in its current form and would instead be eligible for FEMA buyout programs. He said the changes incorporate lessons from past storms and require consultation with North Carolina Emergency Management prior to considering variances.
The planning commission reviewed the amendment on May 27 and recommended approval, and no members of the public spoke for or against the change at Tuesday’s hearing. The council adopted the ordinance update by unanimous vote.
The amendment keeps the city eligible to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and updates enforcement and permitting language; the council did not specify any timetable for additional public outreach beyond the hearing.
