Pennsylvania Flood Plain Management Act (Act 166 of 1978) — Mandatory Municipal Floodplain Ordinance (PA)
Tracked preemption from the Pennsylvania overlay bundle.
Overview
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Effective
1978-10-04
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:PA
Other Pennsylvania preemptions
Pennsylvania Act 13 — Oil & Gas Operational Preemption (58 Pa.C.S. §3303)Chesapeake Bay Watershed — Riparian Buffer & E&S Control (25 Pa. Code Ch. 102)Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Environmental ReviewMPC §503(1.1) — Manufactured / Industrialized Housing PreemptionPennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) — Building Code PreemptionFirearms — Local Regulation Preemption (18 Pa.C.S. §6120)Pennsylvania History Code — State Historic Preservation Review (Pa.C.S. Title 37)Pennsylvania Agricultural Area Security Law — Agricultural Security Areas (Act 43 / Act 38 of 2005)
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
always true
Preempted fields
4 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
review_type | require | act_166_floodplain_management_ordinance | Every Pennsylvania municipality with FEMA-identified flood-prone areas must adopt and administer a floodplain management ordinance meeting state minimum standards under 32 P.S. §679.202. DCED publishes the model ordinance. Failure to adopt subjects the municipality to loss of state grant eligibility AND NFIP suspension by FEMA. |
review_type | require | dced_floodplain_ordinance_certification | Ordinance must be reviewed and certified by DCED (formerly DCA) for compliance with state minimum standards before adoption. Substantive amendments require recertification. |
base_districts[*].max_height_ft | subject_to_flood_elevation | lowest_floor_at_or_above_bfe_plus_freeboard | New construction and substantial improvements in FEMA-identified Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA, Zones A/AE/AH/AO/A1-30/V/VE) must have lowest floor elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Act 166 also empowers PA DCED to designate Pennsylvania Flood-Prone Areas independent of FEMA mapping. |
base_districts[*].allowed_uses | prohibit | hazardous_materials_storage_in_floodway | Storage of hazardous materials and certain critical uses prohibited within regulatory floodway per state minimum standards. |
Citation
Authority source
Pennsylvania Flood Plain Management Act, Act of Oct. 4, 1978, P.L. 851, No. 166, 32 P.S. §§679.101–679.601
§ 32 P.S. §§679.202 (municipal ordinance duty), 679.302 (DCED certification), 679.402 (minimum standards)
Research notes
Federal conflict check enabled because Act 166 operates in tandem with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP, 42 U.S.C. §§4001–4131) administered by FEMA. PA Act 166 minimum standards can exceed (but not undercut) federal NFIP minimums. DCED's Floodplain Management program publishes the PA model ordinance and certifies local ordinances. NFIP-related Community Rating System (CRS) credits flow through state-certified ordinances.