A standing-room-only crowd turned out Thursday night to learn more about a new online recovery mapping resource available to help the rebuilding efforts for areas of Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria damaged or destroyed in the Jan. 9 flooding and debris flows.
Updated interim flood advisory recovery maps for the areas affected by the deadly debris flows were released this week by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Interactive maps are available on the county’s website.
“This is a flood map — this is not a debris-flow map, and there’s a big distinction between the two,” said Matt Pontes, the county’s assistant executive officer, during a community meeting Thursday in the Santa Barbara County Administration Building. “This recovery mapping provides advisory flood elevations, and is not going to be used solely for evacuations.”
Before flood advisory recovery maps become effective, the county Board of Supervisors at a regular meeting on Tuesday in Santa Maria will consider the recommendation that FEMA recovery maps be used to supplement the areas of flood hazards identified in the county, according to Pontes.
Another community meeting will be held July 11 with FEMA representatives. Details were pending.
Twenty-three people were killed, and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed in the debris flows, which also caused huge infrastructure destruction to the Montecito area just weeks after the Thomas Fire ravaged through the mountains and hills above Montecito, Summerland and the Carpinteria Valley, as well as many communities in Ventura County.
Recovery Maps for portions of Montecito and Carpinteria were developed to provide residents with more accurate information that can help in making rebuilding decisions, county engineering manager Jon Frye said.
The new flood hazard tool and elevations will also help guide planning and development decisions.
Before a crowd of about 120 people, Frye described hazard areas on the recovery map.
“This map assumes the bridges and culverts are plugged,” Frye said. “We think that this model represents a much truer picture of the threat and risks. It’s a model, (and) it’s not perfect.”
The mapping project is a product of the Strategic Alliance for Risk Reduction, which is comprised of mapping, mitigation planning, risk assessment and communication experts. The recovery maps used modeling technology and topographic data taken around Jan. 16.
A handful of residents at Thursday’s meeting urged officials to reevaluate the map’s data because they said the topography had changed since the data was taken in mid-January.
The updated flood advisory recovery maps do not affect ratings for flood insurance, and do not alter the current FEMA flood insurance rate map (FIRM), according to county officials.
Any homeowner is eligible to purchase flood insurance regardless of their location.
FEMA maps will determine the areas of special flood hazard and be used for development and rebuilding in the unincorporated area until the permanent flood insurance rate mapping of the area is complete, according to the county.
FEMA advises the new maps to be utilized in conjunction with the existing FIRMs, using whichever base flood evaluation is higher until the new FIRMs are developed, according to the county.
The current FIRMs will be used for insurance purposes until new, permanent maps are developed in the next 4-5 years.
County officials urge property owners with structures damaged in the debris flow to contact their county Planning and Development case manager for assistance.
To find your case manager visit, http://readysbc.org./rebuild or by emailing pad@co.santa-barbara. ca.us or calling 805.568.2090.
County officials urge property and business owners to consult with their local building official to understand how the new data can be used to support development efforts.
The meeting is posted on the county’s YouTube channel and the county’s Facebook page.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.