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National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System

NEW JERSEY — The Community Rating System is a program for communities to lower the cost of flood insurance premiums paid for property owners by adopting community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum standards required by the National Flood Insurance Program.

• The goals of the program are to reduce flood losses, strengthen the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program and to promote awareness of the importance of flood insurance.

• Participating communities earn a reduction in flood insurance premiums based on the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System.

• Nearly 3.8 million policyholders in 1,211 communities participate in CRS by implementing local mitigation, floodplain management, and outreach activities that exceed the minimum NFIP standards.

• 52 communities in New Jersey are receiving flood insurance premium discounts based on their implementation of local mitigation, outreach and educational activities. The Meadowlands Commission is also participating in CRS.

• Participating communities earn points in the program based on 18 creditable activities, organized under four categories: (i) Public Information, (ii) Mapping and Regulations, (iii) Flood Damage Reduction, and (iv) Flood Preparedness.

• For CRS participating communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted in increments of 5 percent. For example, a Class 1 community (at the highest level of compliance) would receive a 45 percent premium discount, while a Class 9 community would receive a 5 percent discount. Communities rated as Class 10 are participating in the CRS but do not yet meet the minimum standards needed to qualify for lower flood insurance premiums.

• Compliance with the New Jersey Dam Safety program, new state storm water management requirements, and the development of all hazard mitigation plans provides CRS credits to all municipalities. Communities can also qualify for CRS credits by adopting freeboard elevation requirements.

• The reduction in flood insurance premiums represents an annual savings in premium costs for policy holders and will take effect at the time a new policy is written or a policy already in effect is renewed.

• In addition to premium reductions, participating communities realize additional benefits from the program because local officials and property owners become more knowledgeable about flood plain management, flood insurance and ways of reducing risk.

• Learn more about the NFIP’s CRS program at fema.gov/business/nfip.

News Release

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