Virginia Floodplain Management — NFIP Coordination (Va. Code §10.1-600 et seq.) (VA)
Tracked preemption from the Virginia overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsVirginia overlay roll-upVirginia zoning wikiVirginia building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Yes
Effective
1989-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:VA
Other Virginia preemptions
Virginia 2024-2025 Housing Preemption Bills (Status: None Enacted)Virginia Small Cell Wireless Facility Preemption (§§15.2-2316.3 / 15.2-2316.4)Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP)Virginia Military Air Installation Influence Areas (§15.2-2294)Virginia Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Integration (44 CFR 201.6 / Va. Code §44-146.18:2)Virginia Family Day Home Preemption (§15.2-2292)Virginia RPA 100-ft Riparian Buffer (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act)Virginia Group Home / Assisted Living Preemption (§15.2-2291)
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
OR
parcel.in_sfha_a_or_ae_zone==Trueparcel.in_sfha_v_or_ve_zone==Trueparcel.geometrygeographic match
Preempted fields
3 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].floodplain_management_ordinance_required | override | fema_44cfr60_3_minimum_standards | Localities participating in the NFIP must adopt a floodplain management ordinance meeting or exceeding the minimum standards in 44 CFR §60.3 — including base flood elevation (BFE) + freeboard, prohibition of fill in floodways, finished-floor elevation requirements, and substantial-improvement / substantial-damage thresholds. |
base_districts[*].finished_floor_elevation_ft_above_bfe | floor_at | 1.0 | Virginia model ordinance and most NFIP-participating localities require ≥1 ft of freeboard above the FEMA Base Flood Elevation; coastal V/VE zones typically require ≥2-3 ft and elevation on pilings. |
review_type | add | floodplain_development_permit_required | Any development (construction, fill, grading, mining, drilling, excavation, storage of materials) within a mapped SFHA requires a floodplain development permit from the local Floodplain Administrator. |
Citation
Authority source
Va. Code §10.1-600 et seq. (Flood Protection and Dam Safety); §10.1-602 (Flood Protection Programs — DCR coordinating agency); 44 CFR §§59-60 (federal NFIP regulations)
§ §§10.1-600 through 10.1-603.1
Research notes
Virginia is a non-zoning-preemption state — local floodplain ordinances are adopted under §15.2-2280 enabling authority, but the substantive content is dictated by FEMA's NFIP minimum standards (44 CFR §60.3). DCR's Department of Conservation and Recreation Floodplain Management Program serves as the State NFIP Coordinator, providing CRS (Community Rating System) technical assistance and reviewing local ordinances. Localities that fail to maintain compliant ordinances are suspended from the NFIP, blocking federal flood insurance and most federal disaster assistance in the affected jurisdiction. Federal conflict check: 44 CFR §§59-60, Biggert-Waters / HFIAA flood insurance reform acts, and Executive Order 11988 (federal floodplain management) apply in parallel.