Unless your building codes are totally out of step with reason, any new construction in a flood zone is required to be a specific number of feet above a published flood line. That's almost universal and doubt that any of the East Coast areas are different. The key word is 'NEW'. Many owners will do everything but tear the house down to remodel an existing house with its current non conforming status. Many Architects, designers, and contractors make their living getting around the current building codes 'remodeling' existing dwellings. In most cases it's keeping pre-existing setbacks and/or greater building heights to add size to the structure but others I'm sure want remodel/expand their ground level structures.

The bad thing is we are subsidizing the construction of these guaranteed to be damaged structures for the very wealthy with the Federal Flood Insurance program. I've got nothing against the wealthy and think the current administration's proposed 'punish the successful' tax scheme is right out of Karl's handbook, but we shouldn't be paying for their excesses.