Natomas Floodplain Remapping Update

The new Natomas Flood Insurance Rate Maps will go into effect on December 8, 2008

Important Flood Insurance Information:
Property Owners with a Federally-backed mortgage will need to carry flood insurance. However, the City strongly encourages all Sacramento property owners to purchase a flood insurance policy, whether they are required to or not.

Property owners may purchase a Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) before December 8, 2008. The policy will be good for a year. When the policy comes up for renewal, the policy will be converted to a Standard X Insurance Policy.

Property owners whose property was originally permitted for construction before September 15, 1978 will be subject to higher insurance rates if they do not have insurance by by December 8, 2008.

For more information about Flood Insurance Rates in Natomas, please see Natomas Flood Insurance Rates

Materials Sent to Property Owners in Natomas
Owner Letter (Property permitted or substanially improved before Sept 15, 1978) (pdf)
Owner Letter (Property permitted or substanially improved after Sept 15, 1978) (pdf)
Question and Answer (pdf)

Meeting Schedule
The City and County of Sacramento will be hosting Open House Meetings about the upcoming insurance requirements.

Thursday October 30, 2008                                             Wednesday November 5, 2008
6 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.                                                                 6 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Two Rivers Elementary                                                     Regency Park Elementary
3201 West River Drive                                                       5901 Bridgecross Drive
Sacramento, CA 95833                                                    Sacramento, CA 95835

Wednesday November 12, 2008                                    Thursday November 20, 2008
6 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.                                                                 6 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
South Natomas Community Center                                Inderkum High School
2921 Truxel Road                                                                2500 New Market Drive
Sacramento, CA 95833                                                      Sacramento, CA 95835

How did we get here?

Late 2006- FEMA informed the City of Sacramento and Sacramento and Sutter Counties that it would need to remap the Natomas Basin as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as its levees no longer met new criteria established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 100-year level of protection.

October 2007 - The City, Sacramento County and Sutter County have received word that our application for A-99 Flood Zone Designation for the Natomas Basin has been denied. The Federal Emergency Management Agency explained the criteria that they used to make this decision differed from previous remapping efforts done by the City and has requested that the City and Sacramento and Sutter Counties apply for an AR Flood Zone Designation.

January 2008 - The Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that the levees surrounding the Natomas Basin do not meet the requirements for an AR flood zone designation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will now move forward with an AE flood zone designation.

See a copy of FEMA's Letter
Preliminary Natomas Floodplain Maps from FEMA

What does an AE Zone designation mean?

An AE zone means:

• Anyone with a federally-backed mortgage will need to purchase flood insurance when the flood zone maps go into effect (December 8, 2008). Residents are encouraged to purchase a Preferred Risk Policy to protect their homes and valuables today. These policies provide insurance protection at approximately half the cost of a Standard Flood Insurance Policy.
  
• Any new structures permitted after the new maps go in effect will be required to build one foot above the base flood elevation. In Natomas, this will mean that buildings would need to be elevated more than 20 feet in some areas.