City of Rohnert Park

Residents Have 90 Days to Appeal Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map Updates

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is updating Sonoma County flood maps in 2020. The new maps identify the current flood hazards along Todd Creek and its tributaries and provide data to help building officials, contractors, and homeowners make effective mitigation decisions, thereby contributing to safer and more resilient communities.

Before the new Sonoma County Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) become effective, there is a 90-day appeal period from December 18, 2020 to March 18, 2021. During that time, residents with technical and scientific information, such as detailed hydraulic or hydrologic data, can appeal the flood risk information on the preliminary maps.

Flood hazards are dynamic and change frequently for many reasons, including weather patterns, erosion, and community development. FEMA, Sonoma County and city of Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa officials worked together to collect new data and provide detailed information along Todd Creek and selected tributaries to reflect the new flood risk. These changes may also affect future building standards or insurance requirements.

The local mapping project is part of a nationwide effort led by FEMA to increase local knowledge of flood risks and support actions to address and reduce the effects of flooding on new and improved structures. FEMA encourages residents to review the preliminary flood maps to learn about local flood risks, potential future flood insurance requirements, and identify any concerns or questions about the information provided.

Risk of flooding affects almost every corner of the nation. In total, 98% of counties have experienced a flood event, which makes floods the most common and widespread of all weather-related natural disasters.

You can view the preliminary FIRMs at http://www.fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata

Please contact Cecilia Ellis, Engineering Technician II, for information regarding how to appeal at [email protected] or 707-588-2232.

The City of Rohnert Park Engineering Department is the Map Repository for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) within the incorporated city limits. The FIRM maps and FIS document are available to the public for viewing by two separate means. The first and foremost way to see if a property is within a flood hazard zone is to go the FEMA website at the following link. The second option available to the public is to come to the City of Rohnert Park Engineering Department, located on the Second Floor of City Hall, and request to see the FIRM map for the property.

In addition to the above mention FIRM maps, the city engineering staff compiled a map of the New Years Eve 2005/06 storm event areas of flooding. Go to the City GIS Website and view the layer titled Flood Zones. Located under Other Useful Layers / FEMA. The areas shown in blue experienced localized flooding from the storm event.