Anyone contemplating building near the coast needs to pay close attention to what kind of flood zone in which the home site is located, because this will make a difference in the type of home that can be built. FEMA has defined flood zones according to varying levels of flood risk. This information can be found in the community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Flood Hazard Boundary Map. Each zone reflects the severity type of flooding in the area.
In any coastal Carolina area, if you are thinking of building a “raised beach” style home, it doesn’t really matter which area you choose.But if you do not want to build “UP,” you’ll need to either choose a lot with very high elevation, or choose a lot in the x-zone.
The X-Zone is defined by FEMA as an area of moderate to minimalflood hazards. In DeBordieu, you are only required to build 36 inches from grade, so you can literally build almost on the ground, which is a preference for people like me, who don’t like to go up and down a whole lot of steps.
If you choose to build in the AE or V zones, then you must pay attention to the elevation of your lot to know how high your 1st living floor must be. For example, if you choose a lot in the AE 11 zone, and the elevation of the lot is 6 feet above sea level, then you only have to go 5 ft up with your 1st level. Many folks in that instance find that if they have to up 5 feet, they might as well go up 8 or 9 and park underneath, maximize the space on the lot, and take full advantage of the view.
