Napa County and FEMA will hold a hybrid public meeting at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, at the Calistoga Community Center, to walk property owners through preliminary flood maps that could reshape insurance requirements for homes and buildings across the area. The maps expand the zone identified as having at least a 1% annual chance of flooding, meaning some properties not currently flagged for flood risk could soon fall inside that boundary.
The meeting, scheduled for 1307 Washington Street, will offer a virtual attendance option, though online access details were not immediately available, according to The Napa Valley Register. Napa County is encouraging property owners and residents in and around Calistoga to review the preliminary federal flood maps ahead of the session and to attend if they can. As Local News Matters reports, the updated maps reflect a new study of flood risks along the Napa River and its tributaries.
What the Updated Maps Actually Change
County officials stress that the preliminary maps are not final and do not change current requirements. That distinction matters for anyone checking whether their home now sits inside a higher-risk zone, since nothing takes effect immediately. The same point is echoed in a notice posted by Napa County, which confirms the maps are preliminary and carry no changes to today's rules.
Still, the stakes for some property owners are real. Buildings newly included in the expanded flood-risk area could face additional flood insurance requirements once the maps take effect, depending on their mortgage or lender, and could also face development restrictions tied to the new zoning. Those consequences won't kick in right away, but the direction is clear enough that county officials want residents paying attention now rather than after the fact.
A 90-Day Comment Window Is Coming
Once the meeting wraps, a formal 90-day public comment and appeal period is expected to follow, giving property owners a window to challenge or weigh in on the preliminary maps. FEMA will announce the official dates for that comment and appeal period, and the agency will finalize the maps and set an effective date only after those comments and appeals are resolved. No effective date has been set.
This isn't the first time Calistoga has been the focus of FEMA's remapping work. Back in early 2024, FEMA said it would begin mapping flood risks in Calistoga and Napa County to build more accurate flood maps, risk-assessment tools and outreach support, according to an earlier Napa Valley Register report. That study was slated to cover the Napa River, Ritchie Creek, Biter Creek, Simmons Canyon Creek, Cyrus Creek, Blossom Creek, Garnett Creek and a Garnett tributary — the same waterways reflected in the current preliminary maps, per Napa County's Engineering Division.
How to Review the Maps or Ask Questions
Residents can review the maps and find meeting updates through Napa County's Engineering Division webpage. Property owners with questions are encouraged to contact the division by phone at 707-253-4417 or by email at [email protected] for help reviewing how the changes might affect their property.
