debris slides
Property owners now need flood insurance,
erosion control plan.
By Vicky Shere / Special to the Malibu Times
Property owners who survived the October and November wildfires got a break last week, as a rainstorm moving over Malibu did not unleash possible devastating mudslides and debris flows over scorched hillsides.
Even if they dodged the bullet this time, residents should take steps now to protect their property, officials say. Homeowners should get flood insurance and take steps to control erosion in areas denuded by wildfires.
If National Weather Service predictions of one-half inch of rain per hour or three inches over two days had panned out, residents could have faced an “extremely dangerous” situation, said Captain Bob Goldman, a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“Soil sheds water after a fire and loosened debris moves with significant velocity,” Goldman said last Thursday, when the first rains were falling outside Fire Station 70 at Carbon Canyon. “Large quantities of mud, rocks and debris grind up anything or anyone in their way.”
New land development can increase flood risk, especially if construction changes natural runoff paths, the Federal Emergency Management Agency warns on its floodsmart.gov.
It takes 30 days after purchase for a policy to take effect and most homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage, FEMA says.
Since flood insurance is often not required by lenders, property owners should be concerned about risk, Phil Gajic of the Mark Ball Insurance Agency in Malibu, said. Coastal dwellers need flood insurance because of tidal surges, he noted.
An annual premium of around $400 will buy $250,000 worth of structure coverage and $100,000 in contents coverage, Gajic said. [FEMA cites a $628 annual premium for a replacement cost policy of $231,000 of coverage.]
Three inches of water can cause nearly $8,000 in damage, according to the floodsmart.gov.
The City of Malibu and County of Los Angeles have teamed up to give Malibu property owners advice on erosion control and are developing erosion mitigation measures.
Residents can call the city’s public works department for inspection of property adjacent to burn areas, Claudio Sanchez, deputy city engineer, said. The city will offer advice and prepare a sketch; no permit is needed for drainage control measures.
Getting debris clear of drainage channels is 95 percent of the job, Robert Brager, City engineer and public works director, said. Residents can also get a copy of the county’s brochure on flood, debris and erosion control at City Hall or through the county.
Homeowners in areas affected by the fire should have received a “Post Burn Mudflow Protective Advice Assessment” from the county, according to the city’s Web site.
City, county and state officials were prepared to deal with flood-related emergencies ever since the wildfires.
“We expected greater than normal water runoff because of the denuded hills,” Granville Bowman, the city’s special projects manager for the Department of Public Works, said. “We were concerned that the pipes might be ‘bulking’ because of added ash and debris.”
City and county departments of public works, as well as the California Department of Transportation, were clearing storm drains, culverts and ditches, and putting barricades in place, Brad Davis, the city’s Emergency Services Coordinator, wrote in an e-mail.
The Fire Department had swift water rescue teams and California National Guard helicopters at their disposal, county Fire Captain Goldman said. Extra ladder trucks, rescue tools and salvage equipment were also in place.
“We were on alert, ready to evacuate residents and control traffic on cues from the Fire Department,” said Lt. Scott Chew of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.
Caltrans had been monitoring conditions on Pacific Coast Highway for the past two months, Dan Freeman, Caltrans Deputy District Director of Maintenance, said.
“Whenever it rains, there are more problems than usual,” Freeman said. “We normally have crews on call but we had emergency contractors ready sooner because of the fires.”
The U.S. Geological Survey plans to install a Webcam in Malibu Canyon to monitor flooding and debris flows, the Los Angeles Times reported last week.
More information on FEMA’s flood insurance program can be obtained by calling 888.435.6637online at www.floodsmart.gov.
For information on post-fire erosion control, including a copy of the Los Angeles County brochure on flood, debris and erosion control, go to Malibu City Hall, 23815 Stuart Ranch Road, or visit the city’s Web site, www.ci.malibu.ca.us.