FEMA flood zone rules in Ontario, CA — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Most of Ontario is in FEMA Zone X (minimal hazard), but areas near Cucamonga Creek and the Chino Basin are in Zone AE and require lowest floors 1 foot above Base Flood Elevation under OMC Chapter 28.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issues Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for the City of Ontario dated August 28, 2008, with letter-of-map revisions. Most of the developed urban area is mapped as Zone X (outside the 100-year and 500-year floodplain) because of upstream flood-control works by the San Bernardino County Flood Control District. Portions along Cucamonga Creek, Deer Creek, San Antonio Channel, and adjacent to the Chino Basin lie in Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zone AE). Within Zone AE, Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 28 (Floodplain Management) requires that the lowest finished floor of new or substantially improved structures be elevated at least 1 foot above the mapped Base Flood Elevation (freeboard). Federally backed mortgages in Zone AE require flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program. Property owners can request a FEMA Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision (LOMR-F) if their specific lot is higher than the floodplain. Check your address at msc.fema.gov.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Bernardino County.
See how other cities in San Bernardino County handle flood zones.
See how Ontario's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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