Flooding & Storms

Much of EPA is at high risk of flooding, and the city has flooded several times in the past decades. Beyond flooding homes, storms can leave residents without power, flood streets, knock down trees, and cause lasting issues with mold. Climate change will increase the risk of stronger storms with heavier rain and will raise sea levels, increasing the risk of flooding.

There are many ways residents can prepare for storms including physical preparations, emergency kits, and insurance. The City can help residents with many of these steps and is working to improve citywide preparation such as flood walls and stormwater management.

See below for more information on preparing for storms in advance, what to do when a storm is coming, and citywide preparation you can help support.

Storm & flood preparedness

See this page for more information on flood prevention and preparedness including:

• Which numbers to call for different flood emergency situations
• Signing up for emergency alerts
• Official city storm updates
• Where to get sandbags and how to use them
• Checking power outage status
• Making an emergency plan
• What to put in an emergency kit
• Storm shelter beds for unhoused residents

Avoiding storm damage

Determine flood risk

A key part of preparing for storms is knowing your flood risk. Please note that these maps show areas at risk of flooding from the bay or the creek, but remember, any part of the city can flood due to very heavy rains.

• Flood zone map — a map from the federal government of which areas of the city may flood from a storm that happens on average every 100 years
• Interactive flood tool — a tool to see where would flood (and how deep the water would be) for different storm strengths along with different amounts of sea level rise

Flood insurance

Flood insurance is very important to help recover from flood damage which can be incredibly expensive. Making sure you have appropriate flood insurance is crucial preparation to do long before the flood actually arrives.

• Requirements — Check this map to see if your property is in a flood zone. If so, flood insurance may be recommended or required for your property. Note that floods can happen anywhere — 25% of flood damage happens outside of registered flood zones.
• Insurance information — Check this page for more information on the National Flood Insurance Program. Due to preparations the City has made, residents receive a 10% discount on insurance costs.

Buildings & systems

Building with flooding in mind is key to prevent future damage to homes and residents.

• Retrofitting — See here for ways to make your home more resilient to flooding.
• Construction & renovation — Any new construction, additional structures, or major renovations (>50% of the building’s value) must be constructed/raised above the flood line. See here for more information.

Citywide preparations

The City is constantly working to improve EPA’s resilience to the increasing threat of flooding. These improvements include flood protection infrastructure, improving the city’s storm drain system, increasing the amount of flood-reducing greenspace, and improving city outreach and communications.

Flood defenses

The City is part of the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA) which manages projects to protect the city against coastal and creek flooding using flood walls, levees, channel widening, and more. SFCJPA has already completed "Reach I" which raised barriers around the lower part of the creek near The Gardens. "Reach II," which will raise flood walls along the upper part of the creek near Woodland Park, will begin in Fall 2024. SFCJPA is also part of the SAFER Bay project which will build defensive barriers along the entire coastline of EPA and Menlo Park. The project is currently still in planning stages — the draft map is available here.

Community members can provide input and ask questions at community workshops which will be posted here.

Storm drains

The City is currently working to expand the capacity of its storm drain system which is crucial to help carry water away from homes to prevent flooding from heavy rains. The City is in the process of a series of upgrades to the O’Connor Pump Station which pumps stormwater out of the eastern side of the city and into the bay.

Community members can help keep storm drains clear by keeping trash, which can clog drains and increase flooding, out of the streets and clearing leaves.

Green infrastructure

By increasing the amount of permeable, unpaved surfaces — including parks, landscaping, and permeable types of roadways — we can increase the amount of rain that soaks into the earth and reduce flooding risk. See here for more information on current efforts to expand green infrastructure in the city.