Kitty Hawk is located on a barrier island. By definition, a barrier island is a strip of land that evolved to absorb the ocean forces and protect the mainland.
Ocean overwash, hurricane-force winds, heavy waves, and erosion are natural processes that affect barrier islands and contribute to a dynamic shoreline. A barrier island left in its natural state is a constantly changing entity.
An island with little or no development has few problems adjusting to the forces that nature places upon it. However, problems do occur when people build immovable objects on an island that is in a constant state of change.
Flood Information + DocumentsAbout the floodplain in Kitty Hawk
The topography of Kitty Hawk is relatively flat, with elevations ranging from 4 to 38 feet above mean sea level (MSL) per the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. The Town is approximately 3 miles wide from the Atlantic Ocean to the Currituck Sound at the widest point and approximately ¾ of a mile wide at its narrowest point.
The majority of the Town’s 8.8 square miles is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and is susceptible to flooding. The Town has 1.29 square miles of land located outside of the floodplain or about 15 percent of the Town’s land area.
The major natural hazards that Kitty Hawk faces are Nor’easters, hurricanes, flooding, and coastal erosion. Other hazards that Kitty Hawk faces are severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Sources of Flooding
The primary source of flooding in the Town of Kitty Hawk is storm surge generated by tropical storms, extratropical storms, and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. Breaking waves associated with these storm systems can have a more devastating effect on the coastline than the higher water levels.
Not all storms passing close to the area produce damaging storm surge. Storms producing flood conditions in one area of town may not necessarily produce flood conditions in other areas of town.
The potential for flooding is present during every season. Recent examples of flooding from hurricanes are Hurricane Isabelle in September of 2003 which caused flooding and wind damage with major damage on the oceanfront and Hurricane Irene in August of 2011 which caused major flooding along the Sound and areas of Kitty Hawk Village.
Flood Hazard Potential for Your Property
First and foremost, you should become informed as to the flood hazard potential for your property. The Town of Kitty Hawk Planning and Inspections Department can review floodplain information and studies available in their files to determine the location of your property with respect to the floodplain as established by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) studies.
You may request a site visit for a review of the property’s flood problems and ways to stop flooding or prevent flood damage. You may contact Planning and Inspections at (252) 261-3552 for assistance with map determinations, to obtain copies of Elevation Certificates for specific properties, and/or any other questions.
Access Public Flood Risk Data
The Town of Kitty Hawk has a public Fourrunner website for community members to access the flood risk data for individual properties. The site makes it easy for homeowners, contractors, insurance agents, realtors and more to learn about the flood-related risk for a property as well as the potential building and insurance compliance requirements associated with it.
Forerunner’s platform gives our residents access to the latest details on flood risk for their property, and makes it easier for our community to access relevant data and important documents, like ECs. You can use Forerunner to…
#1: Search for a property’s flood risk.
Each property in the state has a public profile that can be used by homeowners, contractors, insurance agents, realtors, and others to review the property’s available flood data. Search for a property on the homepage by address to find its flood zone, Base Flood Elevation (BFE), Design Flood Elevation (DFE), important flood compliance-related warnings, and more.
Search For a property’s flood risk on forerunner#2: Find Elevation Certificates
You can find Elevation Certificates and other important flood-related documents for your property. Need an Elevation Certificate for a permit or for insurance purposes? If there are documents on file for your property, you’ll be able to find it in the searchable Elevation Certificate page, or on the property’s unique public profile – saving you the cost of getting a new one.
Find property elevation certificates#3: Get Floodplain Management Help
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Forerunner’s Get Help page will allow you to contact your local floodplain management team directly with any questions you may have.
Simply enter your information, include the address of the property you need help on, and share more information with us in the comments. You’ll receive a response as soon as possible.
Contact Local floodplain management on Forerunner