OAKLAND, Calif. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has delivered preliminary flood maps for unincorporated Riverside and San Bernardino counties and the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Ontario, Rialto and Riverside. The maps identify revised flood hazards along the Santa Ana River, Highgrove Channel, Warm Springs Tributary C, Benton Creek and Pyrite Channel. The new maps will help building officials, contractors and homeowners make effective mitigation decisions, thereby contributing to safer and more disaster resilient communities.
Before the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) become effective, there is a 90-day appeal period from March 4, 2023 to June 2, 2023. During that time, residents or businesses with supporting technical and scientific information, such as detailed hydraulic or hydrologic data, can appeal the flood risk information on the preliminary maps, which can be viewed at fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata.
Flood hazards are dynamic and change frequently for many reasons, including weather patterns, erosion and community development. Officials from FEMA, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and the cities mentioned above, worked together to provide updated information that accurately reflects the flood risk. These changes may also affect future building standards or insurance requirements.
The local mapping project is part of a national effort led by FEMA to increase local knowledge of flood risks and support actions to address and reduce the effects of flooding on new and improved structures. FEMA encourages residents to review the preliminary flood maps to learn about local flood risks, potential future flood insurance requirements and identify any concerns or questions about the information provided.
Risk of flooding affects almost every corner of the nation. In total, 98% of counties have experienced a flood event, which makes floods the most common and widespread of all weather-related natural disasters.
For more information, contact Riverside County at (951) 955-1265 or haelhadd@rivco.org and San Bernardino County at (909) 387-7906 or bbiggs@dpw.sbcounty.gov. Other community information is available for the cities of Chino at (909) 334-3535 or ajakher@cityofchino.org, Chino Hills at (909) 364-2800 or publicworks@chinohills.org, Colton at (909) 370-5065 or vortiz@coltonca.gov, Corona at (951) 736-2266 or savat.khamphou@coronaca.gov, Eastvale at (951) 703-4479 or morme@eastvaleca.gov, Jurupa Valley at (951) 332-6464 or ptoor@jurupavalley.org, Norco at (951) 270-5677 or snelson@ci.norco.ca.us, Ontario at (909) 395-2188 or tespinoza@ontarioca.gov, Rialto at (909) 820-8040 or apaiva@rialtoca.gov; and Riverside at (951) 826-5345 or cscully@riversideca.gov.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
