A sign that reads “flooded” is placed in the center of a road in San Ysidro on a rainy day, as seen on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Wednesday to advance a proposed ordinance change that officials say will help make flood insurance more affordable for residents in unincorporated areas.
Supervisors heard the proposed ordinance Wednesday as part of a first reading. A second reading, set for Oct. 9, is needed for formal approval.
According to the county Land Use and Environment Group, an updated Flood Prevention Ordinance is needed to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements, increase credits the county earns to lower flood insurance costs for those in the unincorporated regions, and streamline the review process for some development projects.
"The county takes various actions to reduce the region's flood risk, such as ensuring floodplain maps are reviewed and updated as needed, providing sandbags, maintaining stormwater drainage facilities and the county ALERT (Automatic Local Evaluation in Real Time) Flood Warning Network," officials said.
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The ordinance "is not specific to the January 22 historic storm but aids the county's preparedness in dealing with flooding events in the future," LUEG said.
Flooding in January badly damaged the San Diego neighborhoods of Southcrest, Mountain View and others. Damage was most widespread in a line from Coronado through densely populated areas of the city, Spring Valley and east to unincorporated La Mesa and El Cajon.
Supervisors first adopted the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance in 1988. Along with restricting or prohibiting uses that threaten health, safety or property caused by flooding, the ordinance "controls the alteration of natural floodplains and stream channels, which help contain floodwaters."
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Ordinance rules apply to new development and redevelopment within the floodplain.
Before voting, Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said that anything county government can do to lower flood insurance must be promoted, "because the impacts on our climate will continue." She added that "having a flood plain administrator maintain records is really, really important," and said unincorporated areas were impacted much less during the devastating floods earlier this year because of previous county efforts.
Her colleague Jim Desmond said he was glad the updated ordinance would not impede new housing development. Dahvia Lynch, deputy chief administrative officer for LUEG, said the county worked closely with building industry representatives on the ordinance update.
Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas was absent Wednesday.
