(a The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for the City and County of San Francisco. The FIRM provides flood risk information for flood insurance and floodplain management purposes under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
(b When a community participates 1
the NFIP, the Federal government provides financial backing to enable residents and businesses in the community to obtain affordable flood insurance; in exchange, the community adopts floodplain management regulations that meet the minimum requirements of the NFIP and reduce the risk of damage during floods 1
The community’s participation in the NFIP enables businesses and residents within flood-prone areas to obtain loans from Federally backed and Federally regulated lenders and enables the community to obtain Federal disaster assistance following presidentially declared flooding disasters.
(c To meet the minimum requirements of the NFIP, the the 1
community’s floodplain management ordinance must require new development, and substantial improvements and substantial repairs of damage to existing structures in designated flood-prone areas be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction; and must prohibit certain uses that would increase flood hazards.
(d By joining the NFIP and adopting a floodplain ordinance that meets the minimum requirements of the NFIP, the City provides all City residents and businesses the opportunity to obtain Federally backed flood insurance that would provide financial protection against damages resulting from flooding.
(e The floodplain management regulations in this ordinance, Article XX, are consistent with the NFIP requirements.
(f) The floodplain management regulations adopted by this ordinance were developed by the City Administrator, in consultation with the Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, the Department of Public Works, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the Public Utilities Commission, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco International Airport, the Treasure Island Development Authority, and the City Attorney’s Office.
(g) The City and County of San Francisco adopts the following floodplain management regulations under its authority to adopt regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its residents granted by Article II, sections 5 and 7 of the California Constitution.
(h) The purpose of this ordinance is to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by imposing provisions designed to:
(1) Protect human life and health;
(2) Minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects;
(3) Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding and generally undertaken at the expense of the general public;
(4) Minimize prolonged business interruptions;
(5) Minimize damage to public facilities and utilities such as water and gas mains; electric, telephone and sewer lines; and streets and bridges located in areas of special flood hazard;
(6) Help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of areas of special flood hazard so as to minimize future blighted areas caused by flood damage;
(7) Ensure that potential buyers are notified that property is in an area of special flood hazard; and
(8 Ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard assume responsibility for their actions.
(Added by Ord. 188-08, File No. 080823, App. 8/7/2008; amended by Ord. 56-10, File No. 100136, App. 3/25/2010; Ord. 226-20, File No. 200537, App. 11/13/2020, Eff. 12/14/2020)
CODIFICATION NOTE
1. So in Ord. 226-20.