Posted on September 22, 2021
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – Horry County leaders didn’t make a decision Tuesday on revising the county’s flood ordinance to further protect life and property.
The ordinance says new homes would require an elevation three feet above the Federal Emergency Management Agency or supplemental flood zones, whichever is higher. The supplemental flood zone is based on the flooding the area experienced from Hurricane Florence.
It also states development of any new critical facilities will not be allowed within the 100-year floodplain or the 500-year floodplain.
On Tuesday night’s agenda, Horry County Council was expected to consider a revision to the plan that deals with water storage on Tuesday. Councilman Tyler Servant requested the revision to the current ordinance to make sure that it was clear that they would not try to apply the storage standard in the coastal zone.
Councilman Al Allen asked for the ordinance to be deferred back to the Infrastructure and Regulation Committee because some loose ends still needed to be tied up on it.
Flood prevention advocate April O’Leary says those with Horry County Rising are grateful for the ordinance and the considerations that leaders are making to help keep homeowners safe from flooding.
“You know if I think about where I was three years ago, my house was flooded. I had water in my house today three years ago. To think that we can turn that tragedy into something really meaningful and make Horry County a beautiful place to live and invest to buy a home, it sets our community apart from a lot of other coastal counties,” O’Leary said.
These new flood standard requirements are set to go into effect on Nov. 15, giving the design committee time to adjust to those new codes
