As most of the South Coast braces for the next fire, Montecito is focused on the next flood.
An advisory flood map released in June by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) easily doubles the area of Montecito that is likely to flood during a 100-year storm. The new flood plain, or “high hazard area,” now covers roughly half the community, and it predicts higher flood water elevations than in the past.
The new recovery map, as it is called, is designed to help property owners rebuild more safely in the wake of the January 9 debris flow. About 300 damaged or destroyed structures await repair or reconstruction, but many residents who were unaffected by the disaster believe the map must be wrong.