Flood Insurance & FEMA Mapping

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for evaluating flood risk throughout the United States. Recent catastrophic floods provided new information about how and why levees fail. FEMA is using this information to reevaluate the safety of levees nationwide, including those in South Yuba County.

Results from these evaluations will be used to update FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the maps that show the levels of flood risk in each community. In high-risk communities, most property owners with mortgages are required to purchase flood insurance.

Fact:	In order to maintain low-cost flood insurance rates, levees must be accredited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Fact:	To receive FEMA accreditation, levees must be backed by a properly funded operations and maintenance program.
Fact:	The proposed annual assessment will provide the money needed to pay for maintenance on improved levees.
Fact:	If the levees are not accredited, FEMA may map South Yuba County into a high-risk flood zone as early as fall 2009. In that case, flood insurance would become mandatory for most property owners, and development would not be allowed (including commercial and retail development).
Goal:	Finalize and accredit levee improvements as quickly as possible to impact the adoption of FEMA maps.

Did you know?
The cost for high-risk flood insurance is as much as 16 times greater than the cost of the proposed assessment for the South Zone. How does it compare?

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Learn More about flood insurance and floodplain mapping!
To find out more about flood insurance, visit FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program Web site, or contact your insurance agent. For more information on FEMA floodplain mapping, visit FEMA's Region IX site.

*$250,000 coverage for residential structure; source: National Flood Insurance Program