Required Permits: Green Light to Iowan Rebuilding Plans 

Release Date: July 18, 2008
Release Number: 1763-100

» More Information on Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowans need permits – the green light – to start the repair or rebuilding of flood-damaged properties, officials from the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said today.

“A building permit is a critical piece of a plan to rebuild or repair,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Vogel of FEMA for the Iowa tornado, severe storms and flood disaster.   “It’s especially important for those with homes or businesses located within a FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).”

For floodplain management purposes, the SFHA is the area covered by a flood that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, Vogel said. “Building permits are based on local codes and enforced locally, not by FEMA,” he added.

Residents should contact their local building and planning officials to find out if their property is in a federally designated SFHA.

Additional permits may be required, such as a land use permit or zoning permit, depending on the property location.
“Local governments cannot reduce or ignore the floodplain requirements for building or repair,” said State Coordinating Officer Pat Hall of HSEMD.

Repair projects must meet community building codes and flood-damage prevention ordinances. Ordinances serve communities and residents by ensuring all proposed work complies with current codes, standards, and construction techniques. They also provide a permanent record of compliance with elevation, and/or retrofitting requirements; this is useful information when selling a home and it’s necessary for a flood insurance rating.

Residents are asked to start construction and repair only after they have received permits from their local building department.

“It’s the smart – and safe – thing to do,” said Hall.

More Visit www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/info, and click Flood Insurance, Maps, and Information. Additional information recovery and the National Flood Insurance Program can be found at www.floodsmart.gov/. For more information about recovery, visit www.fema.gov.

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Monday, 21-Jul-2008 09:37:19