Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project
Project Office Hours - April 16
Join us on Thursday, April 16, 12-1PM to hear project update and ask questions.
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85469733394?pwd=rahYnavoc6rleyRJIqE8EOHYMFosq8.1
Table of Contents
Project Overview and Goals
FEMA Reaccreditation and Impact to Residents
Community Engagement -Engagement summary now available!
Project Timeline
Funding
Redwood City Sea Level Rise Resilience
Project Overview and Goals
The Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project will protect homes, schools, businesses, and critical infrastructure by addressing flood risk identified by FEMA and projected future sea level rise. The project will also integrate opportunities for nature-based solutions where conditions allow along a raised and strengthened Redwood Shores levee, while enhancing recreational amenities for the community.
The project aims to:
- Select a preferred alternative for renewed FEMA accreditation
- Address future sea level rise and flooding risks
- Use nature-based solutions where conditions allow
- Enhance recreational amenities for the community
Protecting Critical Infrastructure
The Redwood Shores levees currently protect critical infrastructure for Redwood City and San Mateo County. Approximately 11,500 people live in Redwood Shores, and tens of thousands more people rely on services, jobs, and recreational opportunities that reside here.
The Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW) wastewater treatment plant
San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) bus depot
The San Carlos Airport
FEMA Reaccreditation and Impact to Residents
In April 2020, FEMA notified Redwood City that unless the levee system around Redwood Shores is modified, the Flood Insurance Rate Map will be revised, and properties in Redwood Shores will be designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). This change would require approximately 4,700 households to purchase flood insurance.
Redwood City is working closely with community partners to ensure the Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project meets FEMA’s newest accreditation requirements while also taking a proactive approach in considering projected future sea level rise.
Description: This map shows the project area (in blue), and areas that the current levee system must be updated in order to be compliant with FEMA.
Community Engagement
Community engagement on the Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project in 2025 was focused on how the community is currently using the recreational trail surrounding Redwood Shores. In early 2026, we held three events to hear feedback on draft alternatives for project design. The project team will continue to provide updates to the community as the design progresses with future events scheduled for Summer 2026. Here's how you can get involved:
- Quarterly Project Office Hours - Thursday, April 16, 12-1PM
- Join via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85469733394?pwd=rahYnavoc6rleyRJIqE8EOHYMFosq8.1
- ZoomID: 854 6973 3394 , Passcode: 760010
- You will be directed to a waiting room and let in once the meeting starts
- Scheduled sessions (tentative): June 25, September 10, December 10.
- Sign up for updates - More opportunities to come in 2026, stay tuned by signing up for the project mailing list here.
- Contact redwoodshoresSLRprotectionproject@redwoodcity.org for questions or comments about the project.
Past Engagement
- Survey Summary - A summary of results from the 2025 community survey
- Engagement Summary - A summary of engagement from events held in Jan-Feb 2026. The summary contains feedback, questions, and answers from the events.
- Community Meeting Materials
Project Timeline
Funding
Redwood City is funding the Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project in part through a grant from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and from the City’s Capital Outlay Fund. Work is funded through August 2026, when the grant closes.
Redwood City Sea Level Rise Resilience
The Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project is part of a larger effort that Redwood City is undertaking to ensure long-term resilience to rising sea levels and increasingly intense storms.
San Mateo County is embarking on a multi-jurisdictional sea level rise adaptation plan that will meet the requirements of SB 272, a new State mandate that requires all local governments along the shoreline to prepare a Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (Subregional Plan) by 2034. Learn more here. Through OneShoreline, the County has applied for grant funding for the San Mateo County Southern Bayside Cities Shoreline Resilience Plan.
The Redwood Shores Sea Level Rise Protection Project is on a faster timeline than the Subregional Plan in order to protect Redwood Shores and critical infrastructure as soon as possible and use available funding through August 2026. The project will use RSAP guidance as the basis for design and will be integrated into the Subregional Plan effort.