The City of San Diego is a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This program provides subsidized flood insurance for all property owners, provided that the local government institutes adequate land use and development control measures for preventing and reducing property damage from flooding. In addition, the City has to ensure that projects within or fringing on a floodway or floodplain comply with FEMA regulations and requirements. Lenders, appraisers, insurance companies, Realtors, and property owners are interested in the flood zone or Special Flood Hazard Area, which is reflected on Flood Insurance Rate Maps published by FEMA and is normally used to evaluate construction, lending and insurance requirements.
To obtain information on Flood Insurance Rate Maps, visit the City and County of San Diego's SanGIS web site. By selecting the appropriate options and providing the relevant information, people can then compare a specific property boundary to a flood hazard area. Information that they need for flood insurance purposes such as Flood Insurance Rate Map panel numbers and community numbers can then be obtained.
Copies of the Flood Insurance Rate Map and National Flood Insurance Program information are also available at the City's Development Services Center, 1222 First Ave., third floor. Private companies offer to do flood zone determinations based upon the current Flood Insurance Rate Maps information. For floodplain questions, other than specific zone determinations, please call the City of San Diego's Floodplain Management Section at 858-541-4337 or email FloodMgmt@sandiego.gov.
More information on floods and national flood insurance:
www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program
References: 
Council Policy 600-14
