The discussion whether to restrict construction or not, depending on the flood protection level, continues.
Editorial: In Natomas, flood protection has to come first
FEMA should limit further development until levee improvements are a reality
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, July 22, 2007
Everywhere flood experts look in the Central Valley they find the same problems that plague the levees of Natomas.
Many of these levees are a century old and built on foundations of sand. When the rivers run high, water flows underneath these levees. Too much flow, and the levees could collapse.
Because local, state and federal flood agencies were diligent in investigating these problems, the federal government last year declared that Natomas no longer met minimum standards for flood protection. In a post-Katrina era, it won't be the last Central Valley area to earn this distinction. As flood engineers continue their investigations and update flood maps, dozens of valley communities and hundreds of miles of river levee will no longer have "100-year flood protection." As that happens, the status of thousands of square miles of property will be thrown into question.
Because the stakes are so high, the decisions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be crucial in coming months. Natomas will be a test case. Communities nationwide will be watching to see how FEMA administers its regulations in one of the deepest and fastest growing floodplains in the country. Congress and taxpayer groups will also be watching, since the agency's actions could either increase or decrease the liabilities faced by the National Flood Insurance Program.
