City updates flood rules

BARSTOW — Barstow may be high and dry for now, but the city is preparing for the rains to come.

The city is in the process of updating its floodplain management ordinance to comply with state and federal standards in order to stay part of the federal flood insurance program. The new rules will increase the minimum distance that new construction projects in shallow floodplain areas must be built higher above the flood level.

City spokesman John Rader said the changes were required by the California Department of Water Resources after a review by the agency in 2006 and 11 deficiencies in the city’s current rules. The inspection also found 10 potential structure violations from buildings mostly located near the former Barstow Country Club and golf course.

Documents associated with Dept. of water resources inspection stated identified the Mojave river bed as a source of potential flood risk.

“It has the potential of carrying large discharges as a result of major storms, yet is a dry sand wash most of the time. This condition makes it a potentially dangerous source of flooding,” the documents state.

Barstow suffered its last major flood in January of 2005 when heavy rains caused the Mojave river to overflow its banks, causing $72,500 in damages to nearby properties, according to a report form the San Bernardino County Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Services.

According to John Rader, the changes will allow the city to continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal initiative to provide subsidized flood insurance to private property holders.

“The city’s floodplain management program is designed to protect our residents personal and property safety even in the event of a 100-year flood,” he said.

A 100-year flood is a statistic that indicates the magnitude of flood which can be expected to occur about once a century on any given river, Rader said.

Frank Mansella, spokesman for California region of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that although Barstow receives little rain it is still potentially at risk for flood.

“Whenever you get rains in the summertime, you could get alluvial flooding because the ground is so dry the water isn’t absorbed,” he said.

FEMA allows citizens in communities that participate in its floodplain management program to buy flood coverage.

“Flood is one of the most predominant and expensive disasters out there,” Mansella said.

According to documents from the California Department of Water Resources, 108 city residents have flood insurance policies.

Larry Jensen, meteorologist with the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration said the primary season of concern for flooding in Barstow is during the summer season, “where you get very heavy rain over a short time period in a small area.”

He said that the season of concern usually ends in September and that September, October and December are considered the wettest months of the year for Barstow.

Jensen said that the forecast does not call for rain in the immediate future and that overall rain levels were low for the year.

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