Major impact from flood maps

It might not look like a victory, but for a small area south of Yuba City new federal flood maps are.

But even that small victory might be temporary, and county officials say everybody in the county should get flood insurance now, while it costs less.

Remapping of flood plains by the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been under way.

Earlier this month, FEMA notified Sutter County of new Flood Insurance Rate Maps, or FIRMs, for the county south of Stewart Road and east of the Sutter Bypass. And most of the area mapped has been placed into a flood hazard area, affecting about 1,600 developed parcels.

"This is a big, big deal," said Dan Peterson, the county's water resources chief.

Peterson will give a presentation about the flood maps to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night.

The flood hazard area designation brings with it several changes compared to the previous X designation — meaning above 100-year flood protection.

First, residents living in those hazard areas will be required to have flood insurance once the maps take effect Dec. 2, Peterson said.

"Right now, these people do not have to have flood insurance," he said.

On top of that, the insurance will become more expensive. But if people buy flood insurance now before the new maps take effect, they can earn a "grandfather designation" and lock in a lower rate than if they wait until flood insurance is required before getting it, Peterson said.

"Buy now," he said. "If you are protected by a levee, you should buy insurance now."

Also, any development in the area will need to include surveying to determine how high new buildings will need to be elevated about the ground in order to be out of the flood plain.

Public Information Officer Chuck Smith said the county will be sending out at least two letters to all owners of parcels with buildings in the re-mapped area between now and December to let people know of their new designations.

"It may come down to phone calls," he said.

There was one small victory in the new mapping designation.

Based off work by county consultants on base flood elevations in the county, most of the unincorporated area east of Highway 99 between Bogue and Barry roads were mapped into an X, keeping future flood insurance rates lower and avoiding required building elevating for development. About 200 developed parcels are affected.

That doesn't mean those areas are entirely out of the water. Northern portions of the county, including Yuba City, are expected to have their new FIRMs completed by 2010.

"It's a good sign," Peterson said for the areas in question and for Yuba City. "But it doesn't mean they'll absolutely never be mapped into a flood plain."

Supervisors ultimately have to approve the FIRMs by Dec. 2, but Tuesday's presentation will be informational only.

While they have the option not to, Smith said there are consequences from the federal government if the maps aren't approved.

"The National Flood Insurance Program will go away, and communities will not be eligible for assistance in the event of a disaster," he said.

County officials say regardless of what zone a person is mapped in, buying flood insurance is a good idea.

"Most of New Orleans was mapped in an X," Public Works Director Doug Gault said.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Robert LaHue at 749-4713 or rlahue@appealdemocrat.com