New Flood Zone Maps

New FEMA flood insurance rate maps are effective October 16, 2009. Fortunately, no homes in Manteca are affected by these changes, but many property owners in Stockton and rural San Joaquin County will now be required to purchase flood insurance if they have a federally-backed mortgage.

Although Manteca residents are not required to purchase flood insurance because we are not in an area that FEMA considers a high flood risk, that does not mean that it will never flood here. It is very important for property owners to realize that homeowner insurance policies DO NOT cover water damage from flooding. Much of the western and southwestern area of Manteca is protected from flooding by levees, and levees are not an absolute guarantee against all floods. Even areas that are not protected by levees could experience street flooding or flooding from a dam failure to our east. This type of flooding would not be very deep, but could still cause a lot of property damage. Flood insurance rates are federally subsidized, and insurance is not very expensive in Manteca since we are in an area that is considered to be at low risk for flooding. Also, city staff have worked with FEMA to obtain a 5% discount for Manteca residents because we have an effective floodplain management program. If you are interested in flood insurance, contact any insurance agent to see what the rate would be for your property, and make sure that they know that we have a Community Rating System rank of Class 9, which provides the 5% discount. .

If you would like more information about flood risks, the San Joaquin County website has links to lots of information, including a map where you can see the flood zones. This information can be found at http://www.co.san-joaquin.ca.us/pubworks/flood_info.htm. You can also call our Public Works Department at 456-8426 for more information or answers to specific questions.