Development and Floodplain
Orange County Flood Damage Prevention Order
Orange County requires that a Development Permit be issued for any building constructed or moved onto a property or for any improvement over 50% of the value of the building. Permits can be obtained by filling out the Development Permit Application and these permits are valid for (1) year.
| General Permitting Information | Pre-Development Meeting Request Application |
| Entergy Release Form | Interlocal Agreement Orange County Drainage District |
Orange County Flood Tips and Information:
September 2024
Some examples that require a Development Permit are:
- Construction of a new building or home
- Additions to existing buildings
- Substantially improving existing buildings
- Placing of manufactured (mobile) homes on a property
- Temporary building for both residential and commercial
- Agriculture buildings
- Fill, grading, excavations, mining and dredging
Why do I need to obtain a Development Permit?
Section 60.3(a)(1)CFR(Code of Federal Regulations) states that communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) shall require permits for all proposed construction or other development in the community, including the placement of manufactured homes, so that it may determine whether such construction or other development is proposed within the flood-prone areas.
For the purposes of this requirement, the NFIP definition of “development” found in Section 59.1 CFR 44 means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving excavation, drilling operations or storage of equipment and material. Thus, under the NFIP a community is responsible for requiring Permits for all development, not just structures.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program
National Weather Service-Lake Charles
HB 2833 passed by the 81st Texas Legislature which allows a County to require building code standards, inspections, and notices for certain residential construction that begins after September 1, 2009 in the unincorporated portions of a County by enacting Subchapter F, Chapter 233, Texas Local Government Code.
Any building with living quarters is required by HB2833 to have three inspections, these are:
- The foundation stage, before placement of concrete
- The framing and mechanical system stage, before covering with drywall or other interior wall covering
- Completion of construction of the residence.
These inspections must be completed by one of the following:
- A licensed engineer
- A registered architect
- A professional inspector licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission
- A plumbing inspection employed by a municipality and licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing
- A building inspector employed by a political subdivision
- Or an individual certified as a residential combination inspector by the International Code Council
Once a Development Permit Application is submitted, we will determine what flood zone that property is in and this will determine how high you will need to build. If you are located in Flood Zone A, you will also be required to provide Environmental Health and Code Compliance Department with an Elevation Certificate.
Once the permit has been issued you will receive temporary electrical service from Entergy. You will need to provide your Entergy account number and the name of the person/business on the account in order for us to release power. After all required paperwork has been turned in you will be eligible for permanent electrical service.
You can contact Entergy Texas at 1-800-ENTERGY.
The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Use the MSC to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better understanding flood risk. FEMA flood maps are continually updated through a variety of processes. Effective information that you download or print from this site may change or become superseded by new maps over time.
https://msc.fema.gov/portal/advanceSearch
On October 6,2020, Orange County Drainage District approved and adopted the “Drainage Criteria Manual and Regulations” pertaining to commercial development pursued in Orange County. Citizens and businesses pursuing commercial development will need to meet with the Drainage District and adhere to their regulations prior to submission of an application for a Development Permit.
https://ocddtx.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/OCDD-DCM-Regulations-Adopted-10-06-20.pdf
