The Federal Emergency Management Agency has updated its Flood Insurance Rate Map, which is used to identify areas that may require property owners to purchase flood insurance.

The maps will be used to determine which parts of the region are at risk of flooding. Before the maps are officially adopted, the County of Santa Barbara is working to inform residents on how the maps affect them.

“There may be some people who […] previously were not in one of these flood zones and then FEMA went and looked at the area and determined that their residence now is in a flood zone,” said Lael Wageneck, a public information officer for Santa Barbara County.

Even though the maps are not expected to be implemented until 2026, the County of Santa Barbara Flood Control District is holding an open house for residents on July 9.

The event will be open for residents who want to learn more about the maps and ask questions.

According to Matt Griffin, the Flood Control engineering manager, the updated maps will provide a better idea of how the landscape of the region looks.

“These maps continually to need to be updated,” Griffin told Noozhawk. “One, because over time topography changes, and also there’s better and more descriptive modeling tools. So, the maps can be improved.”

The landscape has changed significantly over the years, especially since the debris flow that devastated Montecito in January 2018.

The debris flow killed 23 people and destroyed about 400 homes.

Since then, the county has been using “recovery maps.” The recovery maps were adopted by the Board of Supervisors and used by the County to develop laws and regulations.

Griffin has seen the new FEMA maps and said they are closer to previous flood maps than the recovery maps.

He also stated that the map will not include all of Santa Barbara. Instead, it will focus on the eastern portion of the city to the Ventura County line, along with some portions of the Santa Ynez Valley.

The county plans to use the updated FEMA maps once they are formally adopted and implemented in 2026.

Residents who disagree with the maps will be able to file an appeal if they think their property should not be included in a flood Zone. The appeal process has not begun.

To learn more about the maps and what they mean, Griffin encouraged residents to attend the open house on the topic.

He also stated that flood insurance is important even if you are not directly in a flood zone.

“Water is very dangerous,” he said. “We encourage everyone to consider flood insurance. Even if they’re not in flood zone and think there is a possibility of flooding. Flood insurance is a good thing.”  

The open house will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9, in the County Planning Commission Hearing Room, 123 E. Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara.

The meeting will be live, but a recording will be available online later in the week for those who cannot attend.

To see an interactive model of the remapping and the areas it will cover, click here. To learn more about the open house, click here.