County to Hold Flood Insurance Map Update Meeting

The County of Santa Barbara Flood Control and Water Conservation District, along with the Cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria will hold a meeting to inform the public and receive comments on the preliminary flood insurance rate map (FIRM). The FIRM was recently updated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during the Open Pacific Coast Study and the new changes will affect properties directly adjacent to the coastline.

The new maps will provide the County of Santa Barbara with updated flood risk information to help local officials and residents make informed decisions when evaluating flood risks and purchasing flood insurance. Local officials encourage residents and business owners to review the proposed FIRM changes in order to learn about local flood risks, potential future flood insurance requirements, and identify any concerns or questions about the information provided. The maps are currently preliminary and are in a 90-day Appeal Period that started on September 14, 2017 and ends on December 12, 2017.

The meeting will be held on October 26, 2017 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Santa Barbara County Administrative Building, 105 E. Anapamu St., 4th Floor, Santa Barbara.

If you have any technical and scientific information, such as detailed hydraulic or hydrologic data, you may be able to appeal the flood risk information on the preliminary flood insurance rate maps during the 90-day Appeal Period.  For general information, contact Mary Jornales at the County of Santa Barbara Flood Control District, (805) 568-3440, mjornales@cosbpw.net, Monday-Friday, 8am -12pm & 1pm-5pm. For further details, visit the County of Santa Barbara’s Water Resources website and the Santa Barbara Coastal Mapping Project.