Sutter maps out flood insurance

While it's all but inevitable the Sutter County Board of Supervisors will pass new flood insurance maps for the south county by December, that vote will not be a pleasant time at the Hall of Records building.

That's the indication left by supervisors following a presentation Tuesday on the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps released earlier this month by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"If FEMA hadn't screwed up, they wouldn't be sticking it to us," Board chairman Larry Montna said.

Dan Peterson, the county's chief of water resources, said the new maps essentially mean most people living south of Stewart Road and east of the Sutter Bypass can expect mandatory flood insurance on federally backed mortgages, and at higher rates than before.

Currently, residents can purchase flood insurance at a "preferred risk" rate, roughly $300 per year. However, once the new maps take effect and areas are considered high-risk, the rates will change.

Residents who had flood insurance before will receive a grandfathered low-to-moderate-risk rate of up to $1,300 per year. Those without flood insurance before face paying high-risk rates, which Peterson put at up to $3,000 per year.

Peterson's message was buy insurance now to ensure the lower rate once the maps take effect. "It saves a lot of money," he said.

Another reason to get the flood insurance, Peterson said, was homeowners were three times as likely to have a flood during the lifetime of a mortgage than a fire.

"Most people wouldn't think of owning a home and not having insurance for fire damage," he said.

Needless to say, supervisors weren't pleased and expressed frustrations over levee issues, FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Water Resources.

Supervisor Larry Munger noted that along with higher flood insurance, state and federal agencies are expecting a local match for levee upgrades. A citizen's advisory committee suggested part of that be raised through a benefit assessment, for which property owners would have to vote.

"People are going to tell us to shove it," Munger said. "They're working everything against us."

Supervisor Stan Cleveland asked if there were advantages or disadvantages to the board approving the maps soon or waiting until close to the Dec. 2 deadline FEMA set to have the maps approved before pulling the county out of the 0National Flood Insurance Program.

Peterson suggested waiting until county outreach efforts to affected property and homeowners was underway.

The outreach efforts by supervisors were criticized by real estate agent Ruben Ramos, who said he was appalled at what he felt was a "lack of interest" by supervisors.

Supervisors said community outreach meetings they held earlier in the year were sparsely attended, sometimes drawing as few as 30 people. Ramos suggested putting up signs similar to what went on during election season.

"It's like falling on deaf ears," Montna said.

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