San Jacinto, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in San Jacinto, CA, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before any construction or development in a special flood hazard area
- Floodplain administrator
- The city engineer
- Flood study adopted
- FEMA Flood Insurance Study for San Jacinto dated May 17, 1990
- Maps on file
- Planning Department, 595 South San Jacinto Avenue
- Cumulative rise limit
- No more than one foot in base flood elevation
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 15.40.060
- Appeals
- San Jacinto City Council
Summary
In the City of San Jacinto, California (Riverside County), no one can build or carry out other development inside an area of special flood hazard without first obtaining a development permit. The city engineer serves as floodplain administrator, FEMA's study and maps define the zones, and a violation of Chapter 15.40 is a misdemeanor.
A development permit shall be obtained before any construction or other development, including manufactured homes, within any area of special flood hazard established in Section 15.40.050. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the city of San Jacinto. The applicant shall provide the following minimum information: A. Plans in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing: 1. Location, dimensions, and elevation of the area in question, existing or proposed structures, storage of materials and equipment and their location; 2. Proposed locations of water supply, sanitary sewer, and other utilities; 3. Grading information showing existing and proposed contours, any proposed fill, and drainage facilities; 4. Location of the regulatory floodway when applicable; ... B. Certification from a registered civil engineer or architect that the nonresidential floodproofed building meets the floodproofing criteria in Section 15.40.150(C)(2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 15.40 of the San Jacinto Municipal Code applies to every area of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the City of San Jacinto (§ 15.40.040). Those areas are the ones FEMA identified in the Flood Insurance Study for the City of San Jacinto dated May 17, 1990, with its flood insurance rate maps and flood boundary and floodway maps, plus all later amendments and revisions. Section 15.40.050 adopts that study and mapping by reference as the minimum area of applicability, and the city council can supplement it with other studies the floodplain administrator recommends. The study and maps are kept at the Planning Department, 595 South San Jacinto Avenue, San Jacinto, California 92583.
The city engineer is appointed floodplain administrator and grants or denies development permits (§ 15.40.110). Under § 15.40.130 the permit comes before any construction or other development, manufactured homes included. "Development" is defined broadly in § 15.40.030 as any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including buildings, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, drilling and storage of equipment or materials. Applicants file plans in duplicate on city forms showing the location of the regulatory floodway, the proposed lowest-floor elevation in relation to mean sea level, proposed water, sewer and utility locations, grading contours and fill, and any watercourse alteration. A floodproofed nonresidential building needs certification from a registered civil engineer or architect, and a crawl-space foundation needs the location and total net area of its foundation openings.
When reviewing a permit, the administrator confirms that the site is reasonably safe from flooding and that the cumulative effect of the development does not raise the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one foot at any point within the City of San Jacinto (§ 15.40.120(A)). Anyone who contests the exact location of a mapped boundary, or any other administrator decision, can appeal to the San Jacinto City Council (§§ 15.40.120(F), 15.40.140). Where Chapter 15.40 and another ordinance, easement, covenant or deed restriction conflict or overlap, the more stringent restriction prevails (§ 15.40.070).
Violations & Fines
Section 15.40.060 bars any structure or land from being constructed, located, extended, converted or altered without full compliance with Chapter 15.40 and other applicable regulations. A violation, including a violation of the conditions and safeguards attached to a permit, is a misdemeanor, and the San Jacinto City Council can take whatever lawful action is necessary to prevent or remedy it. Section 15.40.090 adds that the chapter creates no liability for the council, city officers or employees, the state of California or FEMA for flood damage resulting from reliance on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build in a flood hazard area in the City of San Jacinto?
Who administers the floodplain rules and who hears appeals?
Which maps decide whether my property is in a flood hazard area?
What is the penalty for building in a San Jacinto flood zone without complying?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jacinto
California rules heatmap·Compare San Jacinto to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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Flood Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle flood zones.