Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines
Science. Policy. Education. Outreach. Coastal.
Horry County SC Supplemental Flood Zone
Download the Project Description here
The proposed Supplemental Flood Zone (SFZ) is a unique product that utilizes historic flood data to map estimated flooding during recent storms. This SFZ product and methodology is different than Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) probability-based Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The Horry County SFZ is an estimation of flood level and extent during Florence using field data, while FEMA FIRMs represent a modeled probability of future flooding. The SFZ can be simply informational or can be used for planning, emergency management, and/or regulation. The SFZ was created by Western Carolina University (WCU) as a part of resilience planning for Horry County, South Carolina.
The primary objectives of this mapping exercise were to utilize field-collected, post-storm data of flood elevations from Hurricane Florence within Horry County to: 1) delineate a SFZ independent of the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, that approximates the actual extent of flooding during Florence (the storm of record); and 2) create subzones within the SFZ, each with an adjusted Base Flood Elevation (BFE) based on the flood elevations recorded during Florence.
![sfz3](https://psds.wcu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sfz3.png)
![sfz1](https://psds.wcu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sfz1.png)
![sfz2](https://psds.wcu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sfz2.png)
News about the Horry County Supplemental Flood Zone
WBFB News, 2021 https://www.wmbfnews.com/2021/02/20/horry-county-reveals-new-flood-zone-map-more-county-risk-than-previously-known/
The Post & Courier, 2021 https://www.postandcourier.com/myrtle-beach/news/horry-county-launches-tool-that-can-help-can-help-identify-flood-zones/article_e743ab80-a43f-11eb-8250-6705ff30c8b3.html
The Post & Courier, June 2021 https://www.postandcourier.com/myrtle-beach/more-than-30-years-since-last-update-flood-ordinance-in-horry-county-likely-to-be/article_62de67ee-cd12-11eb-90ae-bbcbf4a55c84.html
My Horry News, 2021 https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/local/horry_county/horry-leaders-discuss-scaling-back-building-requirements-in-county-flood-zones/article_62e82fbe-5a37-11ed-bc15-f74ed072cd8e.html
ABC 15 News, 2022 https://wpde.com/news/local/facing-legal-challenge-horry-county-council-eyeing-major-change-to-flood-protection-law
My Horry News, 2023 https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/local/horry_county/hoary-county-council-delays-vote-on-flood-ordiance-change/article_f635cf92-b2b6-11ed-b44e-b74e28de73e2.html
Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines
Old Student Union
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
![psds_wcu_logo](https://psds.wcu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/psds_wcu_logo-300x140.png)