The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP's) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes communities for implementing floodplain management practices that exceed the Federal minimum requirements of the NFIP to provide protection from flooding.

In exchange for a community's proactive efforts to reduce flood risk, policyholders can receive reduced flood insurance premiums for buildings in the community. These reduced premiums reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from community efforts toward achieving the three CRS goals :

1.Reduce flood damage to insurable property 2.Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the NFIP 3.Encourage a comprehensive approach to floodplain management

 Participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) is voluntary. By participating, communities earn credit points that determine classifications. There are 10 CRS Classes: Class 1 requires the most credit points and provides the largest flood insurance premium reduction (45 percent), while Class 10 means the community does not participate in the CRS or has not earned the minimum required credit points, and residents receive no premium reduction. The CRS Classes are based on completion of 19 creditable activities organized into 4 categories:

SAMPLE FLOOD INSURANCE RATES Flood Insurance Premiums When Structure is Built ABOVE the BFE* Lowest Floor Elevation Rates Effective October 2013 AE ZoneVE Zone BFE$1,447$3,167 BFE + 1 ft.$650$2,420 BFE + 2 ft.$428$1,695 BFE + 3 ft.$356$1,235 BFE + 4 ft.$320$1,097 * Flood insurance coverage of $100,000 building/$25,000 contents on an NFIP compliant structure with a policy deductible of $1000.

LOCAL FREEBOARD & NFIP STATISTICS Community Joined NFIP (Regular Program) FreeboardPolicies Insurance in Force Brunswick County 5/15/19861 foot3,954$1,055,082,400 Village of Bald Head 5/15/19862 feet1,0191$322,236,200 Town of Belville 6/02/20062 feet36$10,324,000 City of Boiling Springs Lakes 3/02/19892 feet121$29,794,800

LOCAL FREEBOARD & NFIP STATISTICS Community Joined NFIP (Regular Program) FreeboardPolicies Insurance in Force Town of Bolivia6/02/20062 feet2$378,000 Town of Calabash 2/04/19882 feet67$16,466,000. Town of Carolina Shores 1/26/19992 feet290$83,300,200 Town of Caswell Beach 1/17/19862 feet654$140,390,500

LOCAL FREEBOARD & NFIP STATISTICS Community Joined NFIP (Regular Program) FreeboardPolicies Insurance in Force Town of Holden Beach 5/26/1972n/a1,969$518,173,400 Town of Leland10/19/19922 feet381$107,742,100 Town of Navassa 6/02/20062 feet7$1,415,000 City of Northwest 11/12/19982 feet4$917,000

LOCAL FREEBOARD & NFIP STATISTICS Community Joined NFIP (Regular Program) FreeboardPolicies Insurance in Force Town of Oak Island 07/01/19992 feet3,599$865,489,700 Town of Ocean Isle Beach 11/17/19723 feet2,956$697,876,100. Town of Sandy Creek (np) n/a Town of Shallotte 1/03/19861 foot139$40,948,300

LOCAL FREEBOARD & NFIP STATISTICS Community Joined NFIP (Regular Program) FreeboardPolicies Insurance in Force City of Southport 4/15/19773 feet420$118,114,300 Town of St. James 6/27/20002 feet768$240,456,800 Town of Sunset Beach 11/17/19721 foot1,849$468,068,700 Town of Varnamtown 05/30/2001n/a8$2,468,000