Living Spaces May Climb Yet Higher Under New Flood Elevation Ordinance

A Bay Avenue home on the rise in Ocean City. Ocean City may require homes to be built a little higher to avoid damage from future floods. City Council on Aug. 14 unanimously passed the first reading of an amended flood elevation ordinance that changes the required height of first-floor living spaces. Under the existing ordinance, the top of the finished first floor must meet "zoning flood elevation." The proposed ordinance changes that reference point to the bottom of the joists for the first floor. The purpose of the change is to raise the entire floor system of Ocean City homes two feet above the level of a 100-year flood, or "base flood elevation." Base flood elevation is the height storm waters have a 1 percent chance of reaching in any given year and serves as the baseline for building guidelines. Ocean City's "zoning flood elevation" is typically two feet above BFE. City Council will hold a public hearing and second vote on the ordinance change on Sept. 25 after the Planning Board reviews the ordinance for consistency. The change is being considered to help all Ocean City homes earn bigger discounts on flood insurance. The National Flood Insurance Program has a "Community Rating System" that considers many factors, including a town's flood mitigation policies.