Flood Insurance Increases May be on Horizon for Creek Neighbors

Officials are hoping for community feedback Thursday night as they prepare for a flood study examining flood risks in San Anselmo, Fairfax and other parts of Ross Valley. An outreach meeting is set for Thursday, June 28, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at .

The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) study will update regional insurance rate maps, which could result in higher rates for some community members. The revised Flood Insurance Rate Maps may change a flood-risk classification for some property owners or add properties to a “Special Flood Hazard Area.”

On Thursday night, topographic work maps (attached above) showing tentative boundaries of the new flood zones along Corte Madera Creek will be posted and officials will summarize the flood study and map revision process, as well as plans for the creation of a regulatory floodway. Homes that fall into the new floodways will face future development and expansion restrictions.

Also, a flood insurance representative will be at the meeting to discuss the National Flood Insurance Program and financial benefits of getting flood insurance before map changes occur.

When the revised maps are released this fall, tentatively scheduled for September 2012, it will trigger a formal review and comment period.

The study is separate from the county’s Ross Valley Protection and Watershed Program.