Flooding can occur during any season of the year. Because so much of the land in St. Charles Parish is low, your property may be in a Special Flood Hazard Area as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The principal source of floodwater in the parish is rain. In late summer, hurricanes and their tidal surges also pose a serious threat. 

Floodwater collects because most of St. Charles lies at or below sea level in a saucer of land prone to subsidence, or sinking. The low flat ground provides little gravity drainage, so water that falls in the parish must be pumped out.

Digital copies of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (two sets) that show flood zones and base flood elevations are in your local library catalog.

Maps are also on the FEMA flood mapping portal.

The Planning and Zoning office works with the GIS Department to offer flood maps HERE. 

Call (985) 783-5060 to talk about your flood risk, flood maps, and information you need for a Flood Insurance Policy

• is your property in a flood hazard area? 
• what’s the base flood elevation?
• what’s the min. building elevation?
• what FEMA flood map panel has the information

Flood Warning System

St. Charles Parish operates a warning system to alert people of potential flooding from any weather event hurricanes, tropical storms and heavy rains. A warning period will be available for most situations, but the amount time varies from hazard to hazard.  Use the warning period wisely to save lives, reduce injuries and protect property. These warnings are disseminated through the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Upon notification, three short dual tones over TV and radio stations, citizens should tune to SCP-TV or in the event of the lack of TV, WWL Radio 870 AM or 101.9 FM for initial warning information and subsequent updates.  Learn more about the Parish alert system here Weather Watches and Warnings | St. Charles Parish, LA.  

Remember to always stay out flood waters whenever possible Turn Around Don't Drown®.

The parish flood warning system can provide an early notification of flooding conditions.

• A flood watch means flooding is possible. A flash flood watch means a flash flood can happen very fast with little warning is possible.
  
  
• A flood warning means a flood is occurring or will occur soon; the flood may take several hours to develop. A flash flood warning means a flash flood is occurring or will happen very soon; you should find safety immediately.
  
  
• Listen to local stations for news information and instructions. Keep a supply of fresh batteries on hand to operate a portable radio in case electrical power is lost. Tune your radio to 870 AM or 101.9 FM for emergency broadcasts or to SCP-TV for more information.
  
  
• If emergency officials tell you to evacuate or leave your home, go immediately to a safe shelter. Turn off all utilities at the main switch but only if time permits. Do not touch any electrical equipment unless it is in a dry area. Every source of electricity can be dangerous during and after flooding.
  
  
• If you're caught in a building by suddenly rising water, move to the second floor or the roof (you may need a tool on hand to break through to the roof). Take drinking water, a flashlight and a portable radio. Wait for help. If your car stalls in a flooded area, abandon it as soon as possible.
  
  
• Swimming or playing in or near floodwater is life threatening. Drainage ditches and canals carry fast moving floodwater and are extremely dangerous. Explain this to your children! Do not attempt to walk through floodwater that is more than knee deep.

 

There are many things you can do to an existing building to minimize or eliminate the potential for flood damage.

• Sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber can be used to protect property temporarily

(sandbags should not be stacked against the outer walls of a building since wet bags may create added pressure to the foundation).

• Permanent retrofitting of flood-prone structures is preferrable to temporary measures.  Methods include elevating the structure or utilities, protecting utilities, building flood walls. For more information view Brochure 1 and Brochure 2 on retrofitting your structure.

• FEMA Publication 347 Above the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House is available from the St. Charles Parish Library catalog and also from FEMA’s Building Science Resource Library. 

• Before proceeding with retrofitting measures or any construction (excavating, filling, renovations, additions) check with the Department of Planning and Zoning (985) 783-5060, 14996 River Road, Hahnville for requirements and restrictions.

• An insurance agent can tell you how retrofitting may affect you flood insurance premium; floodplain managers in Planning and Zoning can also discuss how retrofitting may affect your insurance.

Permit Requirements

All new construction and substantial improvements to existing buildings in St. Charles Parish require a building permit. This ensures that construction meets minimum standards like the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code (LSUCC), Sanitary Code, and Life Safety Code as well as Parish land use zoning regulations, flood zone regulations, stormwater management regulations, and coastal zone regulations, and other codes and standards.   Contact the Planning and Zoning Department, (985) 783-5060, 14996 River Road, Hahnville, to obtain permit application forms or if you think someone may have started building without a permit. 

Substantial Improvement/Damage Requirements

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires that if the reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvements to a building equals or exceeds 50 percent of existing square footage or fair market value of a building, then the top of the lowest floor of the building must meet or exceed the minimum building elevation. This includes repairs to buildings that have been substantially damaged.  If repairs to a building damaged by any source would cost more than 49% of the building’s fair market must, the building must be at or above the minimum building elevation required by the Parish’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Section XX of the Zoning Ordinance)  plus any additional elevation required by the LSUCC.  Contact the Planning and Zoning Department at (985) 783-5060, 14996 River Road, Hahnville with question about substantial improvements (and/or substantial repairs).

FEMA Elevation Certificates

Elevation certificates show when building a structure, commercial and residential or mitigation of a structure which has been repetitively flooded or substantially damaged.  Licensed surveyors and engineers complete Elevation Certificates for a fee.  A comprehensive list of LA-licensed surveyors and engineers is available here: Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS).  The Planning and Zoning Department maintains a list of surveyors and engineers who have completed plats and/or elevation certificates in the Parish over the last year and keeps a digital copy of every final elevation certificate submitted it. 

**An elevation certificate for your building may be on file!! Contact the Planning and Zoning Department at (985) 783-5060, 14996 River Road, Hahnville to find out.

 
Protect the drainage system

The St. Charles Parish Stormwater Management Program helps keep the drainage conveyances clear which helps the prevent flooding. Responsible builders keep a clear construction site and follow best management practices.  More information is available here https://www.stcharlesparish.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/5614/636875503652470000

Standard homeowners' insurance policies do not cover losses from flooding.  St. Charles Parish participates in the National Flood Insurance Program so that residents can purchase flood insurance.  Get a quote!   If FEMA flood maps show that a property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, federal law may require you to have a flood insurance policy in order to get a loan or mortgage. Renters can buy policies to protect personal property.  The Special Flood Hazard Areas in St. Charles Parish are A99, AE, AH, and VE. 

Having flood insurance is wise even outside of Special Flood Hazard Areas. About 20% of flood insurance claims are paid to policyholders in X zones. Call your insurance agent for flood insurance information. Once you've purchased flood insurance, keep your policy and an itemized list of your furnishings, clothing and valuables where they won’t flood. Call your agent or broker immediately if you suffer flood damage.

Flood insurance premiums have been increasing.  For more information about flood purchasing, maintaining or improving your flood insurance coverage or flood zones, contact a floodplain manager in the Department of Planning and Zoning, (985) 783-5060, 14996 River Road, Hahnville. 

For information regarding what local communities are doing to help keep flood insurance affordable, visit https://csfi.info/ or talk to a local floodplain manager.

 

St. Charles Parish is served by a sophisticated drainage system that pumps stormwater over the levees that protect the Parish from the river, lakes , and bayous all around.  The Department of Public Works has programs for levee improvements and maintenance, drainage system maintenance and improvements, and stormwater maintenance.  You can help.  Never debris in catch basins, drainage ditches and canals. Cleaning catch basins near your property.  Debris can cause the drainage system failures that can lead to flooding. Call the Department of Public Works at (985) 783-5102 to find out more.

All of St. Charles Parish is within the Louisiana Coastal Zone, as shown on this map. The Local Coastal Program is designed to protect and enhance the wetlands that do so much for us, like provide recreation, hunting, and fishing areas.  The wetland areas of the Parish also receive most of the drainage water pumped over levees.  Keeping stormwater clean helps to keep wetlands healthy.  For more information contact the Planning and Zoning Department, (985) 783-5060, 14996 River Road, Hahnville.

Flood zones depicted on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) describe flood risk.  Zones that start with “A” are Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) which have 1% chance of flooding annually and 26% chance, or 1 in 4 chance of flooding over the term of a 30-year mortgage. This is why the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires borrowers to have a flood insurance policy for buildings in the SFHA (this is called the mandatory-purchase requirement).  A zones are sub-categorized by the source or type of flooding that may occur and the anticipated severity or elevation of flood waters (St. Charles Parish has AE, AH, and A99 zones).

The X zone is NOT a SFHA.  Buildings in X zones are less likely to experience flooding.  Although the NFIP does not require flood insurance for mortgages in X zones, more than 20% of all NFIP claims come from low-to-moderate risk areas like Zone X.  A lender may require a borrower to purchase flood insurance.

The NFIP defines X-zones as “shaded” or “unshaded” because maps use shading to show when X zones are protected by levees.  Every X zone in St. Charles Parish is a “shaded” X zone which means an area of moderate flood hazard, usually the area between the limits of the 100-year and 500-year floods, such as areas protected by levees from the 100-year flood. Contact the Planning and Zoning Department, (985) 783-5060, 14996 River Road, Hahnville to talk about flood zones and flood risk.

Levees reduce, but cannot eliminate, the risk of flooding. Local, state, and federal agencies constantly maintain and improve the levee system, but there will always be some flood risk.  If a levee breaks or is overtopped, flooding can be catastrophic. When a community is behind levees, it usually requires a complex system to manage stormwater.  Learn more about the levees and drainage system that protects your community here: St. Charles Parish Levees

A well-thought-out plan of action for you and your family can go a long way toward reducing the impacts from hurricanes and other types of disasters. Household emergency plans should be kept simple and should always include specific steps to get out of harm’s way. 

For step-by-step instructions for making a plan, visit www.ready.gov/plan.   

For information regarding weather watches and warnings visit https://www.stcharlesparish.gov/departments/emergency-preparedness/weather-watches-and-warnings

For maps and descriptions of local evacuation routes, including contraflow, visit https://www.stcharlesparish.gov/departments/emergency-preparedness/weather-watches-and-warnings -- expand “Evacuation Routes.”