Flood Insurance Information

The City actively participates in the Community Rating System (CRS), part of the National Flood Insurance Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Our participation results in notable discounts in the premiums for annual flood insurance policies. East Palo Alto is rated as “Class 7” which translates to a 15% discount on premiums. The City puts a great deal of effort into maintaining this discount benefit for local flood insurance policy holders – however, our understanding is that significant reductions in the discounts may be implemented by Congress in the coming years.

Flooding is not covered by a standard homeowner's insurance policy. A separate flood insurance policy is required to cover damages incurred by flooding. Coverage is available for the building itself as well as for the contents of the building. The City of East Palo Alto participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that makes available federally backedflood insurance for all structures, whether or not they are located within the floodplain. Note that there is a 30-day waiting period before coverage goes into effect. For more information, contact your insurance agency. You can also get more information from the FEMA website. 

Elevation Certificates

The City of East Palo Alto maintains records of all elevation certificates that have been created for properties within the City. Contact the Community and Economic Development Department to inquire more about these Elevation Certificates by calling 650.853.3189 for more information.

Click here to view East Palo Alto flood zone maps (flood insurance rate maps) to determine if your property is located in a flood zone. You can also get flood zone maps and more information by visiting the FEMA Map Service Center.

Recent Changes to Flood Insurance Law

In March of 2014, President Obama signed the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 into law. This new law repeals and modifies a number of elements of the previous Flood Insurance Reform Act. The links below provide information about the changes to the flood insurance regulations including slowing and capping certain flood insurance rate increases, offering relief to some policyholders who experienced steep flood insurance premium increases in 2013/early 2014, reinstating certain subsidized rates, and other changes.