Flood fringe overlay district (including AO and AH zones) and the future base flood area of zone X.
Omaha Municipal Code § 55-658
in effectSec. 55-658. - Flood fringe overlay district (including AO and AH zones) and the future base flood area of zone X.
(a) Permitted uses. Any use permitted in the underlying base zoning district shall be permitted in the Flood Fringe Overlay District. No use shall be permitted in the district unless the standards of section 55-657 are met.
(b) Standards for the flood fringe overlay district.
(1) New construction, substantially damaged, or substantially improved residential structures shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above one foot above the highest base flood elevation available. All machinery and equipment, such as electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, and any other service facilities, must be elevated to the same level as the lowest floor. The elevation of the lowest floor and all machinery and equipment servicing the structure shall be certified by a licensed land surveyor, professional engineer, or architect.
(2) New construction, substantially damaged, or substantially improved nonresidential structures shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above one foot above the highest base flood elevation available, or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, be floodproofed so that below that level the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and with structural components having the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy. A registered professional engineer or architect shall certify that the standards of this subsection are satisfied. Such certification shall be provided to the floodplain management coordinator of the planning department as set forth in subsection 55-655(b)(2)(g).
(3) Fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor (excluding basements) and below the base flood elevation shall be used solely for the parking of vehicles, building access, or limited storage of readily removable items. The area below lowest floor subject to flooding shall be a maximum of four feet in height measured from the bottom of the floor joists, unless used for parking of vehicles. When the area below the lowest floor is used for the parking of vehicles, the city shall require the owner to sign a nonconversion agreement and file it with the Douglas County register of deeds. A nonconversion agreement may only be used for attached garages or parking areas below elevated buildings at the discretion of the city. Fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor (excluding basements) and below the base flood elevation shall be designed to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit of floodwaters. Designs for meeting this requirement must either be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect or meet or exceed the following minimum criteria: A minimum of two openings having a total net area of not less than one square inch for every square foot of enclosed area subject to flooding shall be provided. The bottom of all openings shall not be higher than one foot above grade. Openings may be equipped with screens, louvers, valves, or other coverings or devices provided that they permit the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters.
(4) Within AH and AO zones, adequate drainage paths around structures on slopes shall be required in order to guide floodwaters around and away from proposed structures.
(5) Manufactured homes.
a. All manufactured homes placed or substantially improved within A1-30, AH, and AE zones, shall be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor is a minimum of one foot above the base flood elevation and securely anchored pursuant to section 55-658(b)(5)(c), and mechanical, electrical, and HVAC equipment shall be elevated to provide at least one foot of freeboard above the base flood elevation.
b. All manufactured homes shall be anchored to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement. Manufactured homes must be anchored in accordance with local building codes or FEMA guidelines. In the event that over-the-top frame ties to ground anchors are used, the following specific requirements (or their equivalent) shall be met:
i. Over-the-top ties shall be provided at each of the four corners of the manufactured home with two additional ties per side at intermediate locations with manufactured homes less than 50 feet long requiring one additional tie per side;
ii. Frame ties shall be provided at each corner of the home with five additional ties per side at intermediate points with manufactured homes less than 50 feet long requiring four additional ties per side;
iii. All components of the anchoring system shall be capable of carrying a force of 4,800 pounds; and
iv. Any additions to the manufactured home shall be similarly anchored.
(6) Recreational vehicles placed on sites within the special flood hazard areas on the community's official map, shall:
i. Be on site between April 1 through October 31 only and for less than 180 consecutive days; and
ii. Be fully licensed and ready for highway use, which shall mean it is on its wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick-disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached additions; or
iii. Meet the permit requirements and the elevation and anchoring requirements for "manufactured homes" of this section.
(7) Located within the areas of special flood hazard established in section 55-653(a) are areas designated as AO zones. These areas have special flood hazards associated with base flood depths of one to three feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist and where the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate; therefore, the following provisions apply within AO zones:
a. All new construction, substantially damaged, or substantially improved residential structures shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated above the highest adjacent grade at least as high as depth in feet specified on the FIRM plus one foot of freeboard, or if no depth number is specified on the FIRM, at least as high as two feet plus one foot of freeboard.
b. All new construction, substantially damaged, or substantially improved non-residential structures shall:
i. Have the lowest floor elevated above the highest adjacent grade at least as high as depth in feet specified on the FIRM plus one foot of freeboard, or if no depth number is specified on the FIRM, at least as high as two feet plus one foot of freeboard; or
ii. All buildings or structures located in zone AO, shall have their mechanical, electrical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, and any other service utilities elevated above the highest adjacent grade at least as high as depth in feet specified on the FIRM plus one foot of freeboard, or if no depth number is specified on the FIRM, at least as high as two feet plus one foot of freeboard.
c. Adequate drainage paths around structures on slopes shall be required in order to guide floodwaters around and away from proposed structures.
(Ord. No. 37322, § 2, 3-21-06; Ord. No. 38724, § 8, 5-11-10; Ord. No. 38968, § 2, 3-22-11; Ord. No. 39946, § 1, 3-18-14; Ord. No. 43360, § 1, 4-4-23; Ord. No. 44191, § 1, 3-11-25)
Source: City of Omaha, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ne/omaha/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OMMUCOCHGEORVOII_CH55ZO_ARTXIOVDI_S55-658FLFROVDIINAOAHZOFUBAFLARZOXFetched: 10/28/2026