Some homeowners repairing recent flood damage must seek work permits and meet federal regulations, Lawrence County Floodplain Management officials said.

Monday, February 28, 2000

Some homeowners repairing recent flood damage must seek work permits and meet federal regulations, Lawrence County Floodplain Management officials said.

Unusually heavy rainfall Feb. 18-19 caused serious damage to many homes and businesses, said Doug Cade of the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization. Cade contracts with the county commissioners to oversee floodplain management.

The county is not trying to target individuals suffering from flood damage, but is trying to keep the county in compliance with federal floodplain regulations, he said.

All communities participating in the National Floodplain Insurance Program, including Lawrence County, have adopted locally enforced flood damage reduction codes.

Those building-type codes reflect minimum federal criteria for flood damage prevention and require development permits before any activities occur in the county’s special flood hazard areas, he said.

"We have the minimum federal regulations in place in order to allow the county to have flood insurance," Cade said. "What we’re trying to do is stop the cycle of damage."

Floodplain managers already know of a few homeowners that the county agency will contact, he said.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and environmental permitting agencies usually also contact county officials when they see construction in floodplain areas, Cade said.

The local floodplain codes also contain standards for new and substantially damaged or substantially improved structures in the flood hazard areas and in the 100-year floodplain, Cade said.

A substantially damaged structure is one that has damage equal to or exceeding 50 percent of the pre-damaged market value, he said. Substantially improved structures include those with repairs, alterations or additions that are equal to or exceed 50 percent of the structure before any improvements.

Residential or commercial structure owners who suffered flood damage should contact the county’s floodplain management office if they plan to make repairs, Cade said.

They can receive a permit from the office and any information about floodplain standards that might apply, he said.

The floodplain management office is located at 305 N. Fifth St., Ironton. The phone number is 533-2159.