Santa Rosa planners briefed on FEMA flood-map updates for Santa Rosa Creek Watershed

The Santa Rosa Planning Commission heard an update June 12 on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood-risk mapping for the Santa Rosa Creek Watershed, a process city staff said could change which properties are designated as Special Flood Hazard Areas and therefore subject to federal flood-insurance requirements.

City planner Claire (city staff) told commissioners FEMA has been developing official flood maps for the watershed over the past year and that the maps identify Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) — areas FEMA considers to have a 1% annual chance of flooding (often called the "100-year" flood). She said most property owners will see no change but some properties could be newly mapped into SFHAs and may face more stringent building standards and a requirement to carry flood insurance if they have a federally backed mortgage.

Claire said FEMA completed a discovery phase in 2023 and a 2024 analysis-and-mapping phase that used city and Sonoma Water data, including the recently completed Santa Rosa Creek flood study. Claire said the city raised concerns where FEMA mapped areas in which the floodwater is shown to remain inside creek channel banks and does not touch private property; she cited a Lakeview Drive location as an example the city asked FEMA to remove from the SFHA designation.

Jimmy (city staff), who described upcoming outreach, said the city expects FEMA to publish preliminary maps near the end of the month, after which there will be a 90-day public comment and technical appeal period. "It's not just 'I don't really like what the maps say now,'" Jimmy said. "You have to submit technical or scientific evidence, prepared by a civil engineer, to show why the property should not be in the SFHA." He added that smaller corrections — for example, wrong road names — also may be addressed during the comment period.

Jimmy said the city will mail notices, host a community meeting with FEMA and county representatives, post the FEMA maps on the city's website, and offer an FAQ and email notifications for residents who sign up. He said the city is also looking at insurance implications: FEMA's Risk Rating 2 tool and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provide ways to estimate premiums and some transitional discounts. "If they do it ahead of time, then they can get a discount that kind of leads them into the full amount that that will be once those are finalized," Jimmy said.

City staff noted potential discounts through FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS), which can reduce flood-insurance premiums for residents; staff said cities rarely reach the highest discount levels but are exploring what steps might be practical for Santa Rosa. Jimmy estimated the FEMA map changes could become effective in the spring of 2027, subject to FEMA's final determination.

Commissioners asked whether FEMA's maps incorporate climate-change projections. Claire said the city's own Santa Rosa Creek flood study considered climate scenarios, but FEMA's map update uses current data and generally does not incorporate forward-looking climate-change scenarios. Commissioner Horton asked whether the difference produced a major discrepancy; Claire replied she did not believe the discrepancy was large but said she could not quantify it without further analysis.

City staff closed the presentation by saying they will host public meetings with FEMA representatives and make the preliminary maps available online so affected residents can prepare for the appeal process and, if needed, explore flood-insurance options.

The Planning Commission took no formal action on this item at the June 12 meeting.