Special flood hazard areas are lands subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year; otherwise known as the “100-year” flood or the “base” flood. These areas could include, but are not limited to, streams, lakes, wetlands and their associated floodplains, or flood fringes. Special flood hazard areas are those areas identified by the Federal Insurance Administrator in a scientific and engineering report entitled “The Flood Insurance Study for King County, Washington and Incorporated Areas” dated August 19, 2020, and any revisions thereto, and “The Flood Insurance Study for Snohomish County, Washington, and Incorporated Areas,” dated June 19, 2020, and any revisions thereto.

All development within special flood hazard areas is subject to the terms of this article and other applicable regulations. The regulations contained within this article represent minimum standards in special flood hazard areas and supersede any other existing ordinance, code, or regulation that is inconsistent or that requires lower or less restrictive standards in special flood hazard areas (previously referred to as frequently flooded areas). However, these regulations are not intended to repeal or abrogate any other existing ordinances, including land development regulations, subdivision regulations, zoning ordinances, storm water management regulations, environmental regulations, or building codes. (Ord. 2315 § 12, 2020; Ord. 1946 § 3, 2005).