City staff brief council on FEMA floodplain map update; public comment period runs through April

City staff provided an informational update on March 3 about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's floodplain map update for the area.

The city is in the preliminary phase of FEMA's mapping process and the public appeal and comment period runs Jan. 22 through April 22, staff said. FEMA will review comments and issue a letter of final determination anticipated around September; jurisdictions then have six months to adopt any required floodplain regulation updates before the map becomes effective (staff said the effective date was expected in March 2027).

Robin Kaufman told the council that most of Red Bluff's city limits likely will not be affected by the update and that the county will see larger impacts beyond city boundaries. Kaufman said staff would partner with Tehama County for public outreach, including mailers to affected residents and providing a GIS layer for the public tool so residents can see before-and-after mapping.

Councilmembers asked whether FEMA or other agencies will address creek gravel accumulation and channel changes that can affect local flood risk. Kaufman said FEMA representatives would be available at a public meeting planned in partnership with the county and that staff would follow up with technical representatives on dredging and other mitigation questions. She noted that streambed and river alterations often involve multiple regulatory agencies and permits.

What happens next: staff will coordinate a public meeting with FEMA representatives and provide updated maps and outreach materials to affected residents.