Santa Rosa Creek Flood Study

To protect public health and safety, the City of Santa Rosa is conducting a Flood Study of Santa Rosa Creek and its tributaries to document potential flood risks. This waterway has historically experienced flooding and erosion during major storm events and even some smaller, more frequent, storms. Flooding in these urban areas have the potential to move large objects swiftly into other objects, cause damage to buildings and infrastructure, and weaken soil and building foundations. The Flood Study will create new maps, assess potential hazards, and identify effective mitigation strategies. As part of the process, the City of Santa Rosa will be working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to update the national flood map database. This will better position the City to protect public health and safety, identify the vulnerability of key critical infrastructure and communities, provide the best available information for planning and flood mitigation efforts, and open avenues to receive hazard mitigation funding. 

Updating FEMA Flood Maps

The City of Santa Rosa’s Flood Study is part of a nationwide effort, led by FEMA, to increase knowledge of local flood risks and support actions to address and reduce the effects of flooding on new and improved structures. FEMA will use the modeling data from Santa Rosa’s Flood Study to update their flood maps. Once the flood maps are finalized, FEMA will then generate new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) and update Flood Insurance Studies (FIS) for the study area. Before the new flood maps, FIRMS, and FIS are finalized, community members will have the opportunity to comment as part of the City’s community outreach process and FEMA’s due process. 

Next Steps

• 2022-2023: Model update; submittal of model, data, and draft maps to FEMA
• 2023: FEMA reviews mapping submittals, prepares, preliminary FIRMS and FIS  
• 2023-2025: FEMA releases preliminary FIRMS and FIS; due process period
• Ongoing: Community outreach, with an increased focus ahead of the release of the preliminary FIRMS and FIS, and during the due process period

What Happens When a FEMA Flood Map Changes?

When a new FEMA flood map is issued or an effective map is revised, the mapped flood hazard, as well as building or insurance requirements, may change. The City will evaluate the implications of map updates on local property owners, lead stakeholder engagement efforts, communicate findings, and assist the public in understanding National Flood Insurance Program requirements and options. 

Flood Maps

To view official FEMA Flood Maps, visit: msc.fema.gov/portal/home

Flood Insurance

If a property appears in a FEMA Flood Map, federal law requires the property to have flood insurance if the property has a federally regulated mortgage. For more information, visit: floodsmart.gov