A new draft of Warren County’s flood ordinance was approved Monday, beating a deadline set by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Supervisors said they aim to hold a hearing by April 5 to send whatever comments are offered to the state agency and its federal unit — regardless of their effect on future revisions.

“We have a standard practice of having hearings when there are revisions to ordinances that we have to adopt,” board President Richard George said. “We can forward (the public’s) concerns to the state, which we’ve done before. It didn’t accomplish anything, but at least we did it.”

The revised ordinance did not increase the number of areas in Warren County designated as flood-prone, merely firmed up some regulations. New construction in special flood hazard areas must be raised at least 18 inches above 100-year flood elevations, defined by FEMA as places that would be inundated by a flood having a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year. On maps adopted in 2008, 44 such areas are designated inside and outside Vicksburg’s city limits. Proposals for new subdivisions five acres in size or more than 50 lots in scope must supply base flood elevation data when seeking county maintenance of new roads.

The same height also applies to the lowest floors on manufactured homes and RVs. Existing structures would be grandfathered in and wouldn’t be affected. On the version adopted Monday, “the flood hazard areas of Warren County” appeared handwritten in place of more encompassing language referring to the county’s flood vulnerability.

Flood risks across Mississippi will be remapped by 2012, with areas designated a Special Flood Hazard Area a primary focus due to the digitization of flood maps leading up to maps currently used by most Mississippi counties.

Current maps, expressed as individual sections of land termed “panels,” are available for viewing in the Warren County Emergency Management Agency, located on the basement floor of the courthouse. The revised flood damage prevention ordinance may be viewed at EMA, the chancery clerk’s office, or at the Board of Supervisors’ offices on Jackson street.

Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com