Monterey, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Monterey's flood damage prevention ordinance applies to every area of special flood hazard within city limits (§ 9-69.1), based on the Flood Insurance Study for the City of Monterey dated June 17, 1986 and its accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), adopted by reference and kept on file at the City's Building and Safety Division (§ 9-69.2). Before anyone can construct, locate, extend, convert or alter a structure within one of these mapped flood hazard areas, § 9-70.1 requires a Development Permit, applied for on City forms and typically supported by a registered civil engineer's site plan showing elevations, existing and proposed structures, fill, drainage and utility locations relative to mean sea level.

The Chief of Inspection Services/Building Official is designated the city's Floodplain Administrator (§ 9-70.2) and reviews every development permit to confirm the site is reasonably safe from flooding, that other required state and federal permits are in hand, and that the project will not raise the base flood water surface elevation by more than one foot. Violating the ordinance, including any development undertaken without the required permit, is a misdemeanor (§ 9-69.3), and the Planning Commission hears appeals from the Floodplain Administrator's decisions (§ 9-70.4) as well as requests for variances, which the code calls 'quite rare' given the compelling need to protect residents from flood loss (§ 9-72.1). Monterey has no designated regulatory floodway, per a note under the code's 'Floodway' definition.