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(a) Statutory Authorization. The Legislature of the State of California has in Government Code Sections 65302, 65560 and 65800 conferred upon local governments the authority to adopt regulations designed to promote public health, safety and general welfare of its citizenry. Therefore, the Board of Supervisors of Humboldt County does hereby adopt the following floodplain management regulations. (Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/4/2016)

(b) Findings of Fact.

(1) The flood hazard areas of Humboldt County are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and government services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare. (Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/4/2016)

(2) These flood losses are caused by uses that are inadequately elevated floodproofed or protected from flood damage. The cumulative effects of obstructions in areas of special flood hazards which increase flood heights and velocities also contributes to flood losses. (Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/4/2016)

(c) Statement of Purpose. It is the purpose of the County of Humboldt to promote public health, safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed: (Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/04/2016)

(1) To protect human life and health;

(2) To minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;

(3) To minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with floods;

(4) To help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize future blight areas;

(5) To ensure that potential buyers are notified that property ins in an area of special flood hazard; and (Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/4/2016)

(6) To ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard assume responsibility for their actions. (Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/4/2016)

(d) Methods of Reducing Flood Losses. In order to accomplish its purposes, this chapter includes methods and provisions for:

(1) Restricting or prohibiting uses which are dangerous to health, safety, and property due to water hazards, or which result in damaging increases in flood heights or velocities;

(2) Requiring that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of construction;

(3) Controlling the alternatives of natural flood plains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel flood waters;

(4) Controlling, filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase flood damage; and

(5) Preventing or regulating the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert flood waters or which may increase flood hazards in other areas. (Ord. 1541, § 4, 7/13/1982)

(6) These regulations take precedence over any less restrictive conflicting local laws, ordinances and codes. (Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/4/2016)

(Ord. 2560, § 1, 10/4/2016)