When my family first moved into Camarillo back in 1998, the city was experiencing widespread flooding from "La Neina". The rains were heavy for weeks at a time and many of the lower elevations around town were suffering. Since that time many extensive flood control projects have been carried out around the county.
Notable among the projects was a thorough clean up and channeling of the Calleguas Creek. This creek had overflowed in several locations where roads crossed it. The bridge embankments were too narrow and had caused the creek to back up at several locations. New bridge construction and a host of other improvements have greatly eased the risk of flooding in Camarillo.
Despite these improvements, FEMA went ahead and redrew flood maps for our city which include diagrams of areas likely to flood over a 100 year time frame. FEMA has expanded the flood areas to include a new, even less likely area of flooding called the 500 year flood area.
The City of Camarillo which has spent a great deal of it's resources to protect itself from flooding, has been understandably concerned about FEMA's new maps. The city has worked to provide homeowners with a better understanding of the effects the new maps may have on the need for and the cost of insuring their homes because of FEMA's new maps.
Insurance companies often require homeowners to carry flood insurance according to the way these FEMA maps are drawn. Insurance can run from around $300 to upwards of $2,000 per year and is normally required for Federal or federally related mortgage financing.
I have copied and scanned some of the literature the City of Camarillo distributed during 2006 in response to FEMA's new maps. I would be happy to email these to anyone with an interest in their property status.
The long and short of it all appears to be that if you live in one of the mapped areas, you would be well-advised to contact the City of Camarillo, FEMA and your home insurer to determine how each will treat your property. Contact information for City of Camarillo - Public Works Department Ph (805) 388-5340 or www.ci.camarillo.ca.us. FEMA - John Magnotti at (202) 646-3932 or john.magnotti@fema.gov or www.fema.gov/mit/tsd.
Warmest Regards,
Mark Thorngren
http://www.markthorngren.com & http://realtytimes.com/REUv/MarkThorngren
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