Floodplain Information

• Floods kill more Americans each year than any other natural disaster.
• Only 6 inches of fast moving water could sweep a person off their feet and cars can become buoyant in about 2 feet of water.
• In addition to heavy rainfall, floods are caused by melting snow and rising rivers, lakes and streams.
• Devastating floods occur throughout the U.S. every year causing more than $2 billion in damage.
• You have a 26% chance of experiencing a flood during the life of a 30-year mortgage compared to a 9% chance of a fire.
• Floods and flash floods occur in all 50 states!
• Losses due to flooding are not covered under most homeowner or business insurance policies.

The City of Pickerington is one of nearly twenty-thousand communities who participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in exchange for federally backed insurance made available to owners and renters of home and business. To participate in this program the City has adopted and enforces the Special Purpose Flood Damage Prevention Regulations. The regulations purpose is to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas.>

Floodplain development permits are required prior to construction or development within a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) identified special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Floodplain development permits are reviewed by staff to determine compliance with the Special Purpose Flood Damage Prevention Regulations.

To apply for a Floodplain Development Permit you must fill out a Special Flood Hazard Development Application and have an Elevation Certificate completed by a professional surveyor or engineer. Both of these forms can be obtained through our office or downloaded online. Additional material will be required depending on flood zone, type of project, and site conditions. You are encouraged to contact the City's Engineering Department to discuss the project and submission requirements before applying for the permit. The application fee is $75.

The currently adopted floodplain maps may be viewed in our office at 51 East Columbus Street during regular business hours or online at FEMA's Map Service Center. Maps are subject to periodic revision and are provided through this website as general reference purposes only and should not be used for scaling purposes or for final determinations of flood hazard status in areas close to a flood hazard boundary line. The City of Pickerington and FEMA are not responsible for any actions taken as a result of the use of these maps or for any distortions in scale or other variations, which may exist or will occur due to the scanning process, use of the maps on home computer displays, or printouts produced from the digitized maps.

For more information on how to prepare for a flood event, and what to do during and after a flood event, go to the FEMA's Floodsmart website.

Below are a few links pertaining to floods: