Urgent Action Needed to Save California from Future Catastrophic Floods

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton) introduced AB 305, the California Flood Protection Bond Act of 2024, today.

“I cannot sit by and watch as our communities are ravaged by widespread flooding,” said Assemblymember Villapudua. “The storms we have experienced this year showcased decades of underinvestment in the flood management infrastructure across California. This failure resulted in billions of dollars of property damage and, most tragically, 22 lives lost. We need to make long-term investments today to prevent similar future tragedies across our state.”

The 2022 Update of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan predicts that climate change will increase peak flood flows by up to five times in the Central Valley within the next 50 years. Without intervention, these events could threaten millions of lives and create devastating costs that reach as high as $1 trillion. Much of this threatened area includes the countless acres of agriculture land that feeds the nation and the world.

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that Stockton, like many communities of color, faces higher risks because of a history of insufficient funding, low-lying communities, and the natural water systems that flow near the city. This lack of funding continues to be a major challenge in implementing needed flood protection projects. The most recent budget proposal seeks to cut projects currently on the table, demonstrating the need for the bond.

The California Flood Protection Bond Act of 2024 will place a multi-billion dollar proposal in front of California voters for the purpose of funding flood management projects across the state.