Flood Safety Information

The 2005 Hurricane season will remain infamous with the residents of Jackson County. Hurricane Katrina caused devastating damages to many of the residents of Jackson County. The Storm surges were unheard of prior to Katrina, and reshaped many of the properties along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Jackson County wants to ensure that structures that are built within the County are built strong, safe, and in a manner that much of the same devastation does not occur once again.

The Building Department is available to help you accomplish these goals. Even if you do not live in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), many areas in our community can become inundated during the heavy rain that cans occur in a coastal area.

If you plan on doing any type of construction or are interested in buying property within Jackson County, please call and ask about the flood zone information and what type of construction may occur. Any development in the flood plain must be permitted.

Jackson County Services

• Uses FIRM to determine if a property is within a SFHA.
• Collects additional flood insurance data for a site, such as the FIRM zone and the base flood elevation.
• Maintains repair information of structures located within the SFHA.
  (A structure cannot receive more than 50% of repairs/improvements within 10 year period if not compliant with the current FEMA FIRM map)
• Maintain files of Current Elevation Certificates
• Provide online FIRM (or FEMA flood maps) on the WebMapping Page.
• Provide information on how to protect your property from floods
• Maintains Flood Damage Prevent Ordinance
• Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (PDF)

The information below is designed to help residents prepare and recover from a flood. Please call the County's building department if you have any questions.