Drawing the Line: New Maps Put More Homes in Floodplain

A routine update of floodplain maps in Pleasant Hill and San Pablo, Calif. has added more than 1,000 households to flood zones in both of the cities.

Richmond, Martinez, Concord, Pittsburg, Danville and Clayton will also be affected by the National Flood Insurance Program’s recent mapping project, as well as unincorporated communities such as El Sobrante, Pacheco, Rodeo and Crockett.

The maps illustrate flood levels and boundaries and determine which households must pay for flood insurance. The purpose is to prepare cities for floods so large that they only have a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year.