An Overview of the Community Rating System (CRS) Formed in 1991, the CRS program rewards communities who go beyond regulating construction of buildings to FEMA minimum standards by rewarding residents by discounting flood insurance premiums reflecting to the degree that the community has worked to reduce flood damage, restore the natural function of the floodplains, help people obtain flood insurance, help insurance agents obtain flood data, etc.

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

Community Rating System The goal is to encourage communities and states to exceed the minimum standards of the NFIP by the use of flood insurance premium adjustments The objective is to reward communities that are exceeding the minimum standards

Incentive CRS provides an incentive for communities to initiate new flood protection activities.

Minimum Requirements for Participation in the CRS A community must be in the Regular Phase of the NFIP A community must be in full compliance with the minimum standards of the NFIP

PRE-REQUISITES TO APPLY HAVE HAD CAV WITHIN LAST YEAR AND RECEIVED LETTER OF GOOD STANDING REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTY ANALYSIS & PLAN FLOOD INSURANCE MAINTAINED ON ALL COMMUNITY BUILDINGS AND PROPERTY As well, you will want to calculate the size of your SFHA, in acres, and count the number of buildings in thE SFHA

CRS Basics Voluntary program Recognizes good floodplain management above and beyond the minimum requirements of the NFIP Modeled on the fire insurance rating system Insurance Services Office (ISO) ISO/CRS Specialist in West Virginia: Tom Brett TBrett@iso.com

Costs to Community Pass a CAV Designate CRS Coordinator Implement activities Elevation certificates Repetitive Loss Plan Maintain records

Minimum Requirements for Participation in the CRS... Communities must maintain FEMA’s Elevation Certificates for all new and substantially improved construction after the date of application for CRS classification.

Repetitive Losses Communities with 10 or more repetitive loss properties must implement a repetitive loss plan Repetitive Loss: two or more losses within the last ten years that exceed $1,000   Repetitive loss communities have differing requirements depending on the number of repetitive loss (RL) buildings they have. • A Category A community (no unmitigated RL buildings) has no special requirements except to submit information needed to update the repetitive loss list if applicable. • A Category B community (1 to 9 unmitigated RL buildings) must review and describe its repetitive loss problem, prepare a map of the repetitive loss area(s), prepare a list of the addresses of all improved properties in those areas, and undertake an annual outreach project to those addresses. This is explained in Section 503. A copy of the outreach project is submitted with each year’s recertification. • A Category C community (10 or more unmitigated RL buildings) must do the same things as a Category B community AND prepare a floodplain management plan or area analyses for its repetitive loss area(s). The plan and area analysis requirements are explained in Activity 510 (Floodplain Management

Premium Discount Class Points SFHA Non‑SFHA 1 4,500 45% 10% 1 4,500 45% 10% 2 4,000 40% 10% 3 3,500 35% 10% 4 3,000 30% 10% 5 2,500 25% 10% 6 2,000 20% 10% 7 1,500 15% 5% 8 1,000 10% 5% 9 500 5% 5% 10 0 0 Of 21,000 NFIP Participating Communities in US, only about 5-6 % are in CRS program, 1,000. Most enter into THE PROGRAM AT A CLASS 9, POSSIBLY AN 8, 36% are a class 7 or above. To get into the higher categories, the community must commit to mitigation of repetitive loss properties, gain percentage of people having flood insurance, get into a higher BCEGS category, develop a comprehensive community flood hazard plan mitigation plan, etc. NON –SFHA %’s, limited, already getting benefit of rates.

What If? City of Buckhannon 160 Policies: $155,767 premiums Average premium $692 CRS Class 9: average savings $37 ($8227 total) CRS Class 7: average savings $103 ($23,239 total) CRS Class 5: savings $173 ($38,975 total)

What If? Kanawha County 2017 Policies: $1,434,394 premiums Average premium $711 CRS Class 9: savings $33 ($66,008 total) CRS Class 7: savings $92 ($184,687 total) CRS Class 5: savings $154 ($310,035 total)

Benefits Money stays in the community Insurance savings are a political plus! Improved flood protection Better organized programs Evaluate vs. national benchmark Technical assistance Incentive to keep implementing Public information builds constituency

Where are the CRS Communities? About 5% of all NFIP communities participate representing 2/3 of all NFIP policies. In Region 3 we have 68 participating communities. 5.6mm policies. A lot of participation in the coastal states especially FL, CA gulf states and Pacific Northwest. Our highest rated CRS community is in Roseville CA.

West Virginia CRS Communities Berkeley County Buckhannon Charleston Jefferson County Philippi West Virginia participating communities currently have 1312 PIF They pay $1,147,674 in premiums They save $ 73, 035 Our non-CRS communities have 20,111 PIF and currently pay $15,501,084 in premiums

Crediting Process Application Verification Verification Visit Recertification Modification Cycle Verification

CRS/ISO REP-TOM BRETT ISO= INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICES, THE CONTRACTOR COMPANY THAT ADMINISTERS THE CRS PROGRAM FOR FEMA. HE AND HIS ASSOCIATES WILL ADVISE AND GUIDE APPLICANTS; SCREEN AND PREAUDIT APPS; WORK WITH YOU TO MAXIMIZE POINTS EARNED; AND AUDIT AFTER ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM ON A REGULAR BASIS TO MAINTAIN OR INCREASE CRS CLASS STANDING.

Four Categories of Activities 300 Series – Public Information 400 Series – Mapping and Regulations 500 Series – Flood Damage Reduction 600 Series – Flood Preparedness

300 PUBLIC INFORMATION ACTIVITIES 310 Elevation Certificate 320 Map Information 330 Outreach Projects 340 Hazard Disclosure 350 Flood Protection Library 360 Flood Protection Assistance Mandatory items: 310, repetitive loss plan (with 10 or more repetitive losses), fully compliant (as determined by CAVless than 1 year old).

400 MAPPING AND REGULATORY ACTIVITIES 410 Additional Flood Data 420 Open Space Preservation 430 Higher Regulatory Standards 440 Flood Data Maintenance 450 Stormwater Management Higher regulatory standards, big points

500 FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES 510 Floodplain Management Planning 520 Acquisition and Relocation 530 Retrofitting 540 Drainage System Maintenance

600 FLOOD PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES 610 Flood Warning Program 620 Levee Safety 630 Dam Safety Dam Safety credit is based on State program

www.crs2012.org Self Assessment Tool CFMs who complete the tool and leave comments can earn 3 CEC credits through ASFPM.

State Profile WV average 740 points 300 Series Public Information 310 – Ecs 320 – Map Information service 330 – Outreach Projects 340 – Hazard Disclosure 350 – Flood Protecxtion Information 360 – Flood Protection Assistance 400 Series – Mapping and Regulations 410 – Additional Flood Data 420 – Open Space Preservation 430 – Higher Regulatory Standards 440 – Flood Data Maintenance 450 – Stormwater Management 500 Series Flood Damage Reduction 510 – Floodplain management Planning 520 – Acquisition and Relocation 530 – Flood Protection 540 – Drainage System Maintenance 600 Series – Flood Preparedness 610 – Flood Warning 620 – Levee Safety 630 – Dam Safety

CGA + Community growth adjustment varies between 1.0 to 1.5

Uniform Minimum Credits These numbers may be higher based on a community growth adjustment. State mandated standards are for higher regulatory standards that are part of state code. Erosion and sedimentation control earns another 30 points (as long as you are following state regulation) for the National Pollutant Elimination Discharge System Phase II program which requires all construction activities greater than 1 acre obtain a permit from Environmental Protection Agency, a delegtade state or a community with an MS4 permit State Dam Safety currently earns 51.8 points but under the new manual this will not be automatic unless your community has a dam or is downstream of a dam and would be affected by a breach.

Activity Element Credit Uniform Minimum Credit 430 State-mandated Standards (SMS) 1 450 Erosion & Sedimentation Control (ESC) 10 Total 11 Possible Additional Credit 630 State Dam Safety (SDS) 0 - 45 Model Ordinance 420 Natural Shoreline Protection (NSP) 0 - 120 Open Space Incentives (OSI) 65 Freeboard (FRB) 22.5 - 280 Cumulative Substantial Improvements (CSI) 60 Lower Substantial Improvements (LSI) 20 Enclosure Limitations (ENL) 30 Other Higher Standards (OHS) 207.5 - 585

HIGHER REGULATORY STANDARDS FREEBOARD-80 POINTS PER FOOT NO FILL IN FLOODPLAIN 2 ACRE/10 LOTS STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM-REGULAR INSPECTION, NO DUMPING IN, ETC. 5 ACRES OPEN SPACE-UP TO 65 POINTS CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE NON-CONVERSION AGREEMENT

Resources E278 NFIP/Community Rating System (at EMI): http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CRS/ User Groups Locally offered workshops

CRS/ISO REP-TOM BRETT ISO= INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICES, THE CONTRACTOR COMPANY THAT ADMINISTERS THE CRS PROGRAM FOR FEMA. HE AND HIS ASSOCIATES WILL ADVISE AND GUIDE APPLICANTS; SCREEN AND PREAUDIT APPS; WORK WITH YOU TO MAXIMIZE POINTS EARNED; AND AUDIT AFTER ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM ON A REGULAR BASIS TO MAINTAIN OR INCREASE CRS CLASS STANDING.

Questions?