Natomas Flood Protection Update
Yesterday, I introduced H.R. 433, the Natomas Flood Protection Improvements Act, in the House of Representatives.
From the Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project to the South Sacramento Streams Group, there are a number of currently authorized flood protection projects that are improving our safety. The legislation I have introduced will authorize federal participation in the Natomas Levee Improvement Program, which will restore 100-year flood protection levels and help us to ultimately achieve our goal of 200-year level flood protection in the Natomas area.
Natomas is home to 80,000 residents and hundreds of small businesses - whom like the rest of Sacramento should not have to wait for the worst to happen before something is done. That is why I am always working to make sure that the federal government is aware of our risk, and that our flood protection projects are getting the attention and support that they require.
This authorization will help protect the Natomas area by enabling additional work on the levees and help create jobs by supporting our region's construction industry. When the two biggest issues facing our region are flood control and the economy, passage of this legislation could not be more necessary, or timely.
The foundation for H.R. 433 is a recently completed report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which declared the 42 mile levee improvement project to be in the federal government's interest. The State of California and Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) have started work on the levee improvement project and by the end of this year will have spent $360 million on roughly half the project. The upgraded levees in Natomas will be some of the widest and strongest levees built in the state and will comply with new, tougher federal levee standards.
As many of you know, since the Natomas area was remapped by FEMA in 2008, homeowners have been mandated to buy flood insurance, which can cost up to $1,300 a year. Because of the financial burden this puts on local families, I have worked with FEMA to ensure that Natomas homeowners, and those in all other parts of the country that have been remapped since 2008, are allowed to purchase reduced price Preferred Risk Policies (PRP) in 2011 and 2012. If you live in an area that has been remapped since 2008, such as Natomas, you are now eligible for the PRP rate. If you or your insurance agent have questions about this policy, please view the official FEMA announcement HERE.
I am hopeful that this measure will be passed in a timely manner, and that we will start seeing its benefits soon. As your advocate in Congress, I will continue to push for increased federal assistance for our flood protection, ensure residents have access to affordable flood insurance, and lend a voice to our region's concerns.